Blue to Red
by WhiteOranges
Summary: ... no summary really just read. Slight Sebastian X OC. Scarlett works for Ceil along with the others. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: His butler, Talented.

_London is quite tonight…_ cold cut and crisp. The London fog filled up, the snow of mid-December fell down the cloudy sky. Just a few miles away to the Phantomhive Estate the weather was no different, the manor was decorated with festive Christmas flowers. The large doors opened.

"No, no help is needed."

"Sebastian." A voice said. Green eyes looked towards his way. The young 11 year old Earl stood there. Sebastian turned and bowed to his lord.

"Forgive, my lord. A woman has come asking for work." The Earl looked at the girl. Long red hair pulled into the ponytail that was pulled over her right shoulder. She was dressed in all white and holding a single brief case. The young Earl dressed in his pajama walked down the grand stairs. He stepped besides his butler and yawned.

"She can be another maid." He said. Sebastian paused.

"Young master?"

"That's an order Sebastian…" The boy mumbled going back up the stairs. Sebastian shot the girl a glare. He gestured for her to come in as she flinched.

It would be about a year letter Scarlett would find herself pulling away the curtains of the window as Sebastian pour the master tea. "Young master, it is time for you to wake up." Scarlett tied away the curtains golden light flushing in. "A poached salmon with mint salad has been prepared for your breakfast." Sebastian informed the Earl.

Scarlett stepped outside the room for a moment and brought back in the Earl's clothes for the day. She would now have been 18 and Ceil, 12. Almost a year had gone by since that wintery night. She watched the raising boy carefully as he raised, sitting up. She smiled going to his bed setting his clothes down for Sebastian to dress him.

"Toast, scones and French pastries have been prepared as an accompaniment. Which would best suit your taste today?"

"Scones." The boy replied rubbing his eyes. Scarlett cupped his face taking her apron to whip his eyes clean and fixed his hair a bit.

"Today after breakfast, an authority on the Roman Empire, Professor Hugues, will be visiting. After lunch will be Mr. Damian from the Poseidon Company."

Scarlett stepped to the side as Sebastian went to them and Ceil rose from bed. He buttoned the shirt of Ceil and started making the blue bow on his collar. "Ah, the one who was left in charge of manufacturing stuffed animals at the Indian factory." Ceil said.

"It seems he is Italian, and we are sparing no effort in order to provide the best hospitality for his satisfaction." The shoes of Ceil were placed on his feet.

Ceil raised the cup of tea to him. "This fragrance… Earl Grey?" (im drinking that right now actually XDD)

"Yes, it is Jackson's Earl Grey." The boy took a sip and placed the cup back down on its little plate. "I will await your arrival at the dining table. Well, then…" the butler started moving towards the door. Ceil grabbed a dart and let it whip past Scarlett and towards Sebastians head. He tilted his head and caught the dark between his fingers. "How was that?" He asked. "Let us leave the fun and games for later, shall we?" He asked turning around to face his master.

Ceil looked grumpy with defeat. "Yes. I agree, Sebastian."

Finian was met to the head with a dart. Blood rushed out as all the gardeners head as all the servants stood in the dining room. Bard, Maylene an Scarlett watched as the boy cried out in pain and rushed to the Earl screaming 'ow'. "What is wrong, Young Master, for you to do something like that?" He asked holding his wound.

"Nothing. That was to be expected." Ceil replied, coolly.

Sebastian stormed into the room. "Finian, has the weeding been done in the inner garden?" the butler asked. "Maylene, have the sheets been washed?" He asked the blushing maid. "Bard, were you not supposed to be preparing tonight's dinner? Scarlett, are all the dishes done?" He turned his gaze downwards before the red head could reply. "Tanaka…" The other butler sipped his tea. "You are fine just as you are." The old man chuckled, weakly. "If you have time to be lazing around like this, get to work!" Sebastian ordered with a terrifying glare. Three of the four workers disappeared.

Scarlett simply placed an empty dish Ceil had used on a tray. A few hours later it was different. Sebastian was standing over all of them. The garden has absolutely died. The dishes were positively destroyed and the meat was completely ruined. "So… Just how did things end up like this?"

"I thought it might be effective if I tried using the herbicides directly on the garden…" Finian explained himself.

"I thought we should being out the tea set we prepared for guests but I fell and it all crashed." Maylene said.

"There was some raw meat left out and I thought I should cook it…" Bard said. Scarlett was standing behind him cutting off the burnt out parts of the meat with a disappointed look on her face. "So with my flamethrower…"

Sebastian turned his gaze to Scarlett. "Who gave him the flamethrower…?" The maid looked away quickly.

"Not me…" the girl mumbled. The four of them could practically feel their demeanor shrinking in Sebastian's eyes and Sebastian's growing.

"We're sorry Sebastian!" Malyene and Finian cried. As those two apologized the butler thought.

"Very well, calm down. You should all learn from Tanaka and calm down a little." He said. Scarlett's and Bard's ego's shrunk a little from that. "Everyone, please listen to what I say and act immediately, just as I instruct. We'll pull through, somehow."

Just as the end had arrived the house was perfect. All the servants stood outside the house and bowed to the guest. "Welcome!" all five said, in a chorus like sound. Their guest, Mr. Damian stood shocked at the magnificent garden standing before him. "We have decided to implement a stone garden as seen in le Japan."

The man suddenly exclaimed in an Italian accent. "Genius! How excellent! What an elegant garden!"

"I thought it appropriate that tonight's dinner should take place out here." Sebastian explained the guest. "Please take time to relax in the mansion until then." Tanaka started guiding the guest towards the house.

"My, my. Just as one would expect of the Phantomhive family. I can't wait for night to fall now."

When Maylene, Finian, Brad and Scarlett looked at the door the guest entered in with curiosity they immediately gave a sigh of relief. "We made it!" Brad said, a look of horror on his face. The four started admiring the garden.

"To think the pebbles I rushed off to buy could become such an amazing garden!" Finian said.

"If those who serve the Phantomhive family couldn't pull off something like this, when what would happen?" Sebastian questioned. "There is a long way to go, while the young master is negotiating with our guest, let us do what we can."

"Yes sir!" they replied.

"Sebastian!" Scarlett said turning towards him quickly, her skirt following her. The butler waved her off dismissively.

"Yes, Scarlett, I am well aware." The red head glared at the butler.

Scarlett stood between her master and the guest as the two played a game in the lounge, Scarlett had a smile on her face happy that there wasn't a single wrinkle on Ceil's clothing. Her own black dress and white apron had no blemishes on it. Her hair pulled up into a single ponytail was pulled over her right shoulder like that wintery night. Ceil's uncovered eye looked calculating at the game board. His hair too without a single flaw, neatly combed.

"The progression of East Indian jewel technology is really quite remarkable." Mr. Damian said. Scarlett frowned in the displeasure from the sound of his voice. "Many brilliant people have also been raised there-"

The man was cut off. Scarlett's pleasant smile returned to her face. "Entranced by the eyes of the dead." Earl Ceil Phantomhive stated. "That's unlucky. I'm out for one turn, eh?" He said.

"I would like to continue to expand my company's business." Damian said. "And secure a larger workforce."

Ceil leaned back in his seat, his finger's intertwining with each others. "It's your turn." Ceil stated with a large calming vibe."

"Oh yes." The dirty blonde man said starting his game again. "Well then, excuse me." Ceil noticed the twitch in Scarlett's fingers as the man spoke, her hands hold the silver tray against her long with documents of Damian's company. Ceil was certain the papers would start to take in the scent of the flowers from the estate, the flower's she usually smelt like even though Finian was the gardener.

Ceil's blue eye averted back to the game board as his opponent made another move. "Yes, and five." He said, moving his piece five spaces. "About that, though. If I were to receive assistance in the form of another £12,000 pounds…" Ceil looked at Damian questionably. "I'm sure this would not prove to be without benefit for you either, Earl. I would become the Phantomhive Company's legs in South Asia and leapfrog right into even more-"

He was cut off once more. "Lose your legs in the forest of confusion." Ceil said, his soft voice had no emotional undertone. Damian looked up at the Earl a sound of confusion escaping his mouth. "It's your turn again. I'm out for a turn, after all." Ceil explained calmly to the guest.

Damian spun the piece again. "Alright, it's six."

"Wait, that's three." Ceil quickly corrected him.

"Um, but…"

"Once you lose your legs you can only move half the distance…" Scarlett whispered softly. Her green eyes moved from the board to the blue eyes of the guest.

He looked at her, chuckled a little bit. "This is quite the sever board game, isn't it? Is there no way to restore my legs?"

"Something once lost will never return." Ceil muttered and snatched the piece from Damian's hand placing it were it should be. "You're body is burned with the crimson flames." His eye intensely staring at the game board his eye turned up to his opponent once more.

The man took a deep, shaking breath in. He looked down to his piece and saw where it had stopped. The card with the same words printed on it was where his piece had landed. "The preparations for dinner have been made." Sebastian said stepping into the lounge.

"Oh, the dinner in that stone garden?" Damian asked. "I've been greatly anticipating it!"

"Well then, let's save the rest for later." Ceil said, as Scarlett went to start putting the pieces in their place.

"Ah, even without continuing, it is quite clear that I am going to lose."

"I don't like quitting a game in the middle." Ceil rose from his seat, the greed was in there in his voice.

Damian rose his hand slightly shielding himself from Scarlett. "Child…" He whispered. Hate raged in her eyes, her hand suddenly twisted ready to slam the silver platter onto his head. Sebastian shot the girl a glare and in a seconds notice it seemed like she never even made the gesture but in her eyes the glare remained. Ceil turned to look at his guest the same glare in his eyes. "Ah! I mean, having the flexible spirit of a child must be one of the requirements of being a manufacturer. That is why the Phantomhives are the number one toy manufacturer in this country. It is really admirable!"

Ceil and Damian left the room heading towards the garden. Scarlett followed their path after the exited the room. Sebastian closed the door behind her. "A servant of the Phantomhive house hold should not lose her temper so easily." He whispered to her.

Her green eyes met his red ones. "But also a servant of the Phantomhive house hold should not allow anyone to put dirt upon the crest of the house." She said back.

"Oh, but don't worry… this won't last long." He told her. "Just go join Bard and Finian and Tanaka, leave the rest up to me." He said with a warm smile.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. Sebastian started walking down the hall and Scarlett followed. She went down to the kitchen where the guys were. They placed a camouflage on her and dragged her away to the garden, the four of them hid in a bush watching the other four on garden that was lit up with the use of lanterns.

"Tonight's dinner is a Beef Tataki-don prepared by our own chef, Bard." Both Ceil and Damian looked down at the small bowls of food there.

"Is this a dinner?" Damian asked, shock was written on his face.

"Yes." Sebastian stared as elegant as usual. "Don't you know?" He questioned. "This is a tradional delicacy passed down since ancient times in Japan! It is a feast filled with appreciation for those who have completed a hard job. That is the power of the dish known as Donburi!"

"Donduri, banzai!"

"This is just a small thank you we would present to you, Mr. Damian, for working so diligently on behalf of the Phantomhive Company." Sebastian said as Damian shock added horror into the mix.

"You're amazing, Sebastian…" Finian whispered and the other two men looked approvingly at the butler from their little hide out.

Scarlett looked irritated. "You… seriously had to go and explain the dish…?" She questioned softly.

"What a unique presentation! Just what you expect of a first-class Phantomhive welcome!" Damian said as Ceil already began his meal.

"We have prepared a win that complements the fragrance of the soy sauce. Maylene." The maid didn't move. Scarlett sighed. "Maylene."

"Oh, yes, sir!"

Sebastian got close to her, her glasses broke even more than usual. "Don't space out. Pour the win into the glass." He whispered to her. She started wobbling getting close to the table.

"Ah, y-you can't, Sebastian! Making a face like that…" She whispered her arms shaking. She poured the wine but instead of in the glass she was pouring it onto the table.

The four in the bush looked horrified. "Maylene is spilling all the wine!" Finian said stating the obvious.

"Why didn't Sebastian just let me do this?" Scarlett said.

Ceil's eyes widened as the win got closer to the edge. Everyone eyes looked directly at the wine, anxiety from everyone piled up with horror. Sebastian grabbed the table cloth, pulling it from under them taking the drop that spilt over the table. Everyone who noticed was in awe.

Finian and Bard grabbed Maylene and dragged the love drunk girl away as quickly as possible. "Where did the tablecloth go?" Damian asked once he noticed Scarlett had hugged onto Tanaka, her stomach tided in a knot. They sighed heavily.

"There was a small stain so I had it removed." Ceil said calmly. A smirk lit his face. "Please pay it no mind."

Sebastian bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Please enjoy your meal at your leisure." He said.

Damian looked shocked and laughed. "I am humbled, Earl Phantomhive. He really is talented."

"He only did what was natural as my servant." Ceil replied that prideful smirk still on his face.

"It is as my master says." Sebastian agreed. "I am but a butler." Sebastian stated bowing his head.

The meal finished and they were back in the lounge. "My, I am awed by your proficiency." Ceil sat in his seat and Scarlett wasn't there just yet. "Well then, about the contract…"

"Before that, we have to finish the board game." Ceil said.

Damian looked shocked and unpleased. "Indeed, there is that. However, I am very sorry, but my next appointment…"

"Children are very demanding when it comes to games. You know that as well, don't you?" Ceil asked another smirk lighting his face.

"Well then, would it be all right If I used your telephone for a moment?" Damian asked a weak smile on his face. Just as he left the room Scarlett and Sebastian were coming in with a cart that had a tea set on it, the kettle was warm.

"I have brought you some tea." Sebastian said with a warm smile as Scarlett took the cart and pushed it inside.

Damian gave the butler a glare and excused himself. Scarlett poured Ceil a cup of tea and handed it to him. He brought it close and pulled it away. "What is this? The fragrance is weak."

"I brought out an Italian tea to match our guest's tastes." Sebastian said entering the room.

"Italian?" The boy said in a soft voice.

"In Italy, coffee is the main aperitif, so there are not many good after-dinner teas." Sebastian explained. "Does it not suit you?" He questioned looking from, Scarlett who was preparing the next cup for the guest to Ceil who had a displeasured look on his face.

"No, I don't like it." Ceil muttered.

"I shall bring the dessert." Sebastian said.

"Yes. Be diligent until the end, as befits the hospitality of the Phantomhive family." Scarlett smiled and scoffed a little, she would enjoy dessert the most that night. Sebastian left the room with the same smile. Scarlett almost laughed.

"The time for laughter isn't here quite yet, Scarlett." The girl nodded.

"You're right." She said. She started humming a song, the lights when off and a few minutes later the scream of 'mamma mia' filled the air. Ceil started laughing.

"That distasteful cry; he sounds just like a pig out for slaughter." Scarlett chuckled looking at the window at the running man as he limped. "To think he thought he could get away with staying quiet about selling of the factory." Ceil said. He scoffed. "Then ask me to fun a larger workforce. The foolhardy fraud."

Scarlett turned and looked at the board as Ceil places his piece on the happy end. She looked up at him. "Young master…"

He pushed the piece down. He leaned back in his seat. "Something once lost will never return…" He muttered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: His Butler, The Strongest.

As if it was an amazing social gathering the four house servants were gathered up on the floor board, Brad had opened it up and had ducked underneath. "Damn. They really did a number on this." He stated to the crew above.

"Mice, again?" Maylene asked.

"I heard there's been an unusual outbreak of them in London." Brad said. Scarlett's hand ducked under her chin to think. "But to think they could spread all the way to us here on the outskirts…"

A soft squeal was heard as a soft gray mouse came by. The gang jumped in alarm. Finian grabbed a statue from the corner and used it as a projectile at the mouse. "Mouse spotted!" He shouted making the other three jumped back, along with major damage to the house. Once the smoke cleared out Finian's hand brushed the back of his head nervously. "It got away, teehee..."

"To hell with your teehee! Were you trying to kill us as well?" Brad yelled. "You idiot!"

Scarlett sighed. "Let's just be happy Sebastian isn't here yet to get us in trouble ok?" Tanaka chuckled and Maylene was left speechless.

The gang went all out to kill these mice. "There's another one!" Finian screamed.

"Don't let it get away!" Brad cried. The two men desperate to kill these pests. They chased the small things only causing more destruction to the house eventually Scarlett caught Sebastian in her gaze. _Oh boy…_ With a swift move they were all caught. He dropped them into the net as the rest struggled to catch their breath.

"All of you, please stop playing around and do your jobs."

"Yes, sir." They all responded.

Dispersing, Scarlett and Maylene went in the same direction and Finian and Brad to their designated places. Maylene and Scarlett were dusting and swiping the foyer. There was a thunderous knock on the door and a letter slipped through the door. Scarlett went and picked it up. She turned to the other maid.

"Maylene, get this to Sebastian immediately." She said going by her gut instinct. Maylene took the letter. "I'll meet you there." She said. Maylene ran for it. Scarlett set their things down and followed a couple of feet behind.

"Sebastian, this letter just arrived at the entrance!" Scarlett heard Maylene cry.

"What's the address?" He asked and Scarlett turned also into the hall.

"To the attendants of Ceil Phantomhive."

Scarlett stopped at the edge of the hall but dashed forward when she saw Maylene trip over her own shoe laces. Before another breath was taken, Maylene had fallen on top of Sebastian, the cake was up in the air and the window and porcelain vase was shattered and Scarlett was shaking and frozen.

"Maylene, the letter." The butler said, laying down catching the cake perfectly onto the platter. The bright red maid stuttered out a yes and handed him the letter.

They stood and Scarlett rushed over to them. "Maylene are you ok?" She asked helping her up.

The maid nodded. "No, 'Sebastian are you alright?' Scarlett?" Sebastian asked.

The red head looked at the butler. "I don't care about you…" She hissed at him.

Sebastian chucked and opened up the letter. "If you want us to return your master safely, bring _it_ to Nova Scotia Gardens in Bethnal Green. What a vulgar invitation." Sebastian said. Scarlett hit Sebastian's arm with all her might. It only caused him to look at her. "Yes, Miss Scarlett?"

"Go, get our master." She told him.

"That is my intention." He started walking tossing the letter back and handed her the cake, the rest of the house crew and the guest came to see the commotion. "I'll have him back before dinner, make sure the house is in order."

"Run, Sebastian!" Scarlett screamed at him and he continued walking at a normal pace. Her hands were in fists. "Sebastian Michaelis!" She screamed.

"Clean up!" He called back charmingly. Bard turned around.

"By clean up you mean eat the-!" Maylene took the cake from Scarlett seeing her beat red with anger.

Ten minutes passed, only a little while before dinner would start. Sebastian started up the stairs of the Ferro house. "Oh what a lovely mansion." He said with a light and airy feel to his voice. All the thugs turned around with their guns and pointed them and the penguin looking butler.

"Who the hell are you?" They cried.

Sebastian's eyes widened like he had done something wrong and he turned to them a small smile on his face. "Oh, my apologies. I represent the house of Phantomhive."

They all crashed into the kitchen staring at the cake, Scarlett still mad, Bard still staring at the cake, Maylene still dizzy from being in too close contact with Sebastian, and Finian clueless. Maylene groaned. "Oh, where did Sebastian go?" She asked, whiningly.

"Totally…" Finian said.

"I don't care where he is or what he's doin'." Bard said. He stood up and slammed his hands on the table. "The issue right now is this!" He said, referring to the cake. "By "clean it up," does he mean we can eat it? Or can't we?"

Finian looked at Brad. "I think maybe we can."

"Idiot! If we make the wrong call on this one, we'll be sportin' his special "triple-scoop ice cream" on our heads!" Brad yelled fuming in anger.

Scarlett stood up herself. "To hell with that butler! Eat the damned cake!" She screamed.

Both Brad and Scarlett jumped when Maylene got up and slammed a bottle of milk onto the table. "Brad, Scarlett, it's not good to get irritated, no! You're short on calcium. Drink this, yes!" Staring for a moment wide-eyed, Bard and Scarlett shook their heads.

There was a loud scream, "My bone… my bone is broken!"

Sebastian pulled his watch out. "Excuse me, but I'm in a bit of a hurry." He explained to the man. He looked down at the silver watch. "5:34…"

He turned and entered the marvelous mansion. He closed his door behind him only to be met by the sound of guns firing at him. He used his tray as a shield. He ran a bit before getting the perfect shot hitting a row of men at once by shooting his ray at them. He jumped over the table in almost a bird like manner, dodging the bullets. He grabbed the plates and used them as projectiles at the men.

"Call the guys from the West hall and we'll pump this guy full of bullets." One of the men said.

Sebastian's gaze became darker. "A swarm of rats… I'll get nowhere at this rate." He said a bit disappointed, looking back down at his watch.

Bard stood up again. "I've decided! I'm going to eat it!" He said. The other three looked at him. "Maylene, get tea. Finian, get out the silver! Scarlett get the china!"

"Yes, sir!" The all responded including Tanaka.

Finian went through the drawers. "I'm sure it is this drawer…" He said kinda new to getting the silverware. "Huh?" He said, shocked at finding the whole drawer empty.

"Is something wrong?" Brad asked, as the other three came to see what was up. Finian frowned, his expression turning sad.

"The silverware should be here, but I don't see a single piece."

Scarlett stood up straight, a dark aura setting in around her. "He disturbed the master's silverware…" She said a deadly tone in her voice. The three jumped to the side and inched away.

Sebastian took out the knives and forks, the precious silver of the Phantomhive estate. He jumped into the air, again with a bird like elegance and shot them down like a rain storm onto the shooters below him. As one by one they all fell dead, one cried out "Who the hell is that guy?" only to meet his death as well.

"A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much isn't worth his salt." He said with his platonic elegance. In a matter of seconds everyone or nearly everyone was dead on the ground, blood in a pile around them. He frowned handing from the chandelier. "My goodness… that took a little more time than I would have liked." He said disappointed, falling down and landing on his feet. He took out his watch again. "5:43"

The kidnapper stood in front of the door, trembling gun in hand. He gasped with no air as the butler stepped in the fuming mad look on his face. The severity of this stranger's actions were punishable by death. He bowed his respect, his hand over his heart. "I have come to retrieve my master."

"Ha! This is a surprise." He said. "I was imagining a brawny giant, but you're just some milksop in a tailcoat." He said, insulting the demon butler. "Who are you? You're not just a butler."

Sebastian stood up straight, a small smile lighting his face, making his features more elegant and seductive. "No, I am merely one hell of a butler… That's all." He explained.

The kidnapper chuckled. "Oh, really?" He was in no position to threat or act cocky. It was evident on the sweat on his face. "At any rate, I don't intend to fight you." He said. "But…" He looked to the side giving a signal and grabbing Ceil by his hair. The young boy groaned in pain, blood had been trickling down his nose and he looked bruised. Sebastian put on a mask of awe as a pistol was pressed to his masters head. "You better have brought the goods." The man demanded.

Sebastian closed his eyes and reached into his coat. "Yes." He reassured the man. "Here it is." He stated pulling out a golden key and receiving an unexpected bullet to his head.

For the first time, Ceil voiced himself calling out Sebastian's name. He watched the butler fall into a shower of bullets, both their faces full of shock.

Their adversary chuckled. "Sorry, milksop, but I win this game!" He said, pride in his voice. Ceil remained come, and seemed unaffected, he knew better. "I'm up against Phantomhive, the game master, so of course I had a trump card to play!" He tugged on Ceil's hair a bit placing the gun at his forehead. "I damaged the goods a little bit, but you should fetch a good price even if they can't sell your parts." He moved the eye patch making it fall off of his face. Ceil stared straight ahead at Sebastian. "Now, no need to be scared! By the time some pervert takes you in… "

Ceil cut him off, annoyed by his abductor and Sebastian. "Hey! How long are you going to play around?" He asked. "How long are you going to play dead?" Ceil asked, more soothingly.

"Goodness gracious…" Sebastian voice, sounded.

"Th-That's impossible!" Vanel cried.

Sebastian rose, like he was being resurrected. "Today's guns are so much more efficient… Quite different than the guns of a hundred years ago." His head snapped back forward the sound of cold metal hitting the same material sounded. He opened up his palm revealing bullets, covered in his blood. "I'll give these back to you." He said, his smile devious.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

Sebastian, as he promised, tossed the bullets back to those who shot him, the bullets going at an incredible inhuman speed, going straight through their targets. The man released Ceil's hair. "Oh dear, my clothes are full of holes." He said, again disappoint and disapproval in his voice.

"That's what you get for fooling around, you idiot." Ceil snapped.

Sebastian looked at him, releasing the cloth from his hand. "Young master, you look good."

"S-Stop!" The kidnapper called.

"You're like a caterpillar; it's quite pathetic and wonderful." Sebastian continued. "It suits a small, weak creature like you."

"If you come any closer, I'll kill him!"

"Hurry it up." Ceil whined. "This guy's breath stinks." He said, bluntly.

"But if I come any closer, you'll be killed." Sebastian said, clearly fooling around.

"Do you intend to violate our contract?" Ceil asked, snapping, clearly angry now.

As if to brush off the mere thought, Sebastian replied, "Of course not. I am your faithful servant."

"What the hell kind of nonsense is this?" Now, this man had become a third wheel.

"Young master, haven't I taught you how to coax me into things?" He asked pressing finger to his lips with a pondering look, still looking awfully devious and seductive.

Ceil opened his left eye. "This is an order. Save me!" He said, now agitated.

"Shut up!" He shot blindly. He shivered as the blue gaze of the young Phantomhive turned to him. "Wh-Why isn't he dead?"

"Looking for something?" Sebastian asked breaking his shock. The butler was standing next to him, bullet in hand, he smiled again with that devious look of his. "I'll give this back to you." He said and dropped it in his pocket. The man gasped and squirmed his arm suddenly twisting back on its own.

Ceil watched and not a care was given to the man suffering before him. Sebastian released him from the leather bounds he was in and picked him up. "This game wasn't much fun." The boy stated to the butler.

"Wait! Come serve me!" The man called out. "Be my bodyguard and I'll pay you five times what he does now. No, ten times! And you can have all the win and women you want! So-!"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Vanel," Sebastian started. "I have no interest in the rubbish created by humans. You see, I am merely one hell of a butler."

Vanel paused. "H-Hell?"

The butler's eyes glowed red, the black feather's of a raven cascaded down in only a shadowy form. The room turned pitch black. "As long as my young master holds the contract, I am his loyal lapdog." He pulled his right glove off. "I am bound to my master by a sacrifice, a wish and a contract." He stated. He placed his right hand over his left eye, the symbol engraved on his hand matching the symbols now engraved in Ceil's eye. "Until the day I take his soul."

"Unfortunately for you this is game over." Ceil said sitting, cross-legged, one hand resting on the armrest and the other hand hosting up his head, he looked like in some form of away, God. Powerful and all-mighty.

Ceil woke up in Sebastian's arms thinking he would have seen burning red flames engulfing his home like long ago but was fooled by what was merely a warm sunset. "Awake, my lord?"

Ceil's shocked face fell at the realization. "Young master! Welcome back!" Finian's voice cried out and the dynamitic trio went up to greet their master. They gawked at Ceil. "Master Ceil, you're hurt!"

"I just tripped while I was out. Don't worry about it." Ceil reassured them.

Scarlett went up to them and grabbed Sebastian's ear, dragging him down a bit. "No matter what you say, those wounds are your fault." She snapped into his ear.

"What, you don't trust the words of the family head?" He asked all of them.

"That's not it; it's just…" Maylene started.

"That looks fun! Like when you lift a baby in the air!" Finian finished.

Ceil turned red and Scarlett wasted no time in slapping Sebastian's shoulder. "Put him down! Put him down!" She yelled. Sebastian who didn't understand why and including when Ceil started telling him the same thing, slowly complied before Scarlett snatched Ceil up in arms and settled him down on his feet, swiftly but nicely. "Stupid butler." Scarlett muttered for Sebastian to hear. Sebastian and Scarlett faced each other as Ceil faced, Maylene and Finian.

"Of course it wasn't fun! You two are-!" Ceil protested.

Sebastian cut him off politely dusting off Scarlett. "Young master." Ceil turned to see Sebastian on his knees, a hand over his heart. "I apologize." His gaze was fixated downward. "I've committed a blunder unworthy of a Phantomhive butler." Scarlett nodded, satisfied. "I do not know I can atone… The preparations for tonight's dinner are nowhere near complete."

Something snapped inside Scarlett. "Get up, Michaelis!" She screamed. The butler looked up at her. "I said get up!" Maylene and Finian pulled Ceil away from the other two. Sebastian got up. "You leave us all, with no clue what to do! You, take the silverware, which I want back now so I can polish them from whatever damage you put through them and you bring back the young master in that condition and you're worried about dinner?"

"Well it's only proper that the young master be treated to a well cooked meal in his own home, that is our job as servants to the Phantomhive family." Sebastian stated a little agitated himself at the defiance of this simple human maid before him.

Ceil rolled his eyes. "Calm down you too. Work you're differences out in another setting, I don't care to see your squabbles." Scarlett and Sebastian, cleared their throats and both took on a lighter approach to their voices.

"Of course master!" They both said. Scarlett went to him. "I'll clean you up as Sebastian finishes preparing dinner." She told him. The young boy nodded.

"That's fine." Ceil said, closing his eyes a bit, leaning in to the maid.

_Home, finally…_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: His Butler, Omnipotent

A high pitched scream of no was echoed through the halls of the Phantomhive Estate. The house hold looked at the door as the clumsy newbie butler, Grell, came rolling in with the small tray crashing straight into Finian. And right onto Finian fell the hot tea. The gardener jumped up, almost dancing scream "hot" getting burns from the water. He attempted to get his stained and burning shirt off of him. The clumsy butler got to Finian.

"I-I'm so sorry!" He stammered. "I'll wipe you off right away!" He said reaching for the cloth on the table.

Scarlett jumped seeing the next catastrophe of the day. "Don't!" He grabs it dragging not only the cloth but the table cloth and Ceil's lunch crashing down to the floor. Scarlett covered her eyes with a sigh and so did Ceil.

Bard inched over to Ceil with his hand covering his mouth. "Young master, why did you take in this useless bum?" He asked as gently as possible as to not be hurt.

Ceil took his hand off of his face and merely turned his eyes to look at the cook. "Are you one to talk?" He asked the sarcasm dripping in his voice. He sighed again and looked forward dropping his shoulders a bit. "I miscalculated." He admitted. Remembering the words of his beloved aunt, he paid no mind to Maylene and Brad helping Grell up, FInian taking care of himself and Scarlett starting to pick up the table cloth. "I thought the only one inconvenienced would be Sebastian, and I wouldn't suffer any harm…" He confessed. He heard Scarlett chuckle he looked at her and she looked away innocently.

Assuming the role as Sebastian and Grell taking the role as the incompetent servants, Brad, Finian and Maylene glared down little Grell. "I'm terribly sorry for causing you all such trouble… I know." He proclaimed, everyone looked at him strangely. "I will die once and for all…" He pulled out a long dagger leaving everyone shocked and placed it near his throat. "I'll atone with my death!"

"Hey, don't do anything rash!" Brad screamed.

But something else was on Maylene's mind. "Wh-When did he get that knife…?" She asked softly.

Sebastian gracefully went over to Grell and placed his hand on his shoulder. "There's no need for you to die." He softly told the other butler. And as Grell turned to Sebastian he was met by his handsome smile. "If blood sprays everywhere, the room will be that much harder to clean." He told him.

Scarlett dropped the tablecloth from her hands and Ceil chuckled. "Sebastian, you're so kind…" Grell said, looking up with admiration and happiness, his hands clasped and a weak smile on his face but it was an honest smile.

Brad looked at the others. "Was that kind?" They all shook their heads no.

Sebastian picked up the tea pot and Scarlett recollected the tablecloth. "In any case, I cannot believe you would serve the young master such a fragranceless tea." Sebastian told Grell, utter disappointment in his voice. "Now, pay attention," Sebastian ordered preparing to show the proper way to make tea. "You put in a scoop of leaves for each person and one more for the pot. A half-pint of boiling water should do it.

Everyone was talking detailed notes and Grell simply watched like a child. Ceil and Scarlett were sitting at the table both looking for stains on the table cloth ignoring the butler. Ceil released the cloth once his tea was served to him. Ceil took the tea as a nobleman should and sipped it.

Sebastian looked at his clock. "Young master, it's almost time." He explained. He snapped it shut and put it into his pocket. "I have a carriage waiting out front."

Ceil put his cup down onto the table just as Scarlett put the tablecloth back on, happy it was stainless but she would still clean it again later. "Right." Ceil told his butler.

Sebastian turned to the others as Scarlett continued cleaning up the mess in front of the table. "All right, everyone, I'll leave the cleaning up to you." He informed them. "Grell, please just sit and rest, so you don't cause unnecessary trouble." He implored him. He turned around but remembering something he looked back at Grell. "If you should decide to rest eternally, I ask that you please do so outside."

Grell, still hands folded on his knees and on the ground, continued to look up at Sebastian. "Sebastian… you're so kind…"

London was a lively town, one only a handful few would come visiting again. But those who were there thrived. The headlining read "murder of a mysterious prostitute" but this was normal prostitutes were killed every now and then. But the master's and the butler's business wasn't for that. They entered the cane store, picking up a custom order.

The shop keeper raised his head and looked at the duo. "Hi there, kid. Your dad send you here?" He asked.

Ceil's insulted face was almost clear. Sebastian stepped forward. "Pardon," he said, "but we've come to pick up my master's walking stick." He informed the man. He handed the paper with the order and he read it.

"Oh!" He said, smiling a bit. "You're here for this stick." He said. He put the paper down and pulled out a different kind of stick, opening a drawer with it. "I was wondering who'd use a cane so short," Ceil glared, "but I never imagined it would be such a young chi-"

Cut off by Sebastian, he quickly wanted to squash the dirt the man was shedding onto his master. With incredible speed he pointed the end of the cane right at the man's forehead, but it stopped short from making contact. Sebastian smiled, deviously. "It's a magnificent stick." He complimented. "Straight as an arrow." That part was a clear threat. The shop keeper was sweating profusely from shock. Sebastian handed over the money. "Keep the change." He said, charmingly as they walked out of the store.

Walking inside the center they were in, Ceil burst out a thought. "That ridiculous strength of Finian's is a nuisance." He stated. "How could someone accidently break a walking stick? I had to have a new one made!"

Sebastian decided to spice up his acting a little, being the melodramatic creature he was with the boredom over the years he smiled, placing his hand on his chest to show his uttermost pain in the matter. "Yes, a pity you had to go to the trouble when you're not even any taller." He said, just to mess with Ceil. Ceil glared, offended again. "And today we gained yet another troublesome servant. Let's not stay out too long.

Ceil looked at the window with the toys seeing the young boy there that was around his age he watched. "Look, Mama, it's a Bitter Rabbit from Funtom! It's brand new!" The child exclaimed with joy. Ceil started walking again, closing his eyes, proudly.

"The Funtom Company… the toy and confection maker that achieved rapid growth in under three years. This is a magnificent manor that really shows the greatness of the company! Oh how stately it is!" Grell comment as he trimmed the bushes and the rest were sitting on the lawn.

"It's barely been two years since it was built." Brad said.

"What? But it's so dignified…" Grell said with shock.

"It's only natural." Tanaka said. Grell looked at him shocked and squeeled at this old man suddenly gaining the momentum of life.

Finian looked at him with a bright smile. "Oh, it's Real Tanaka!" He said. The red head girls there smiled at him.

"It's been three months!" Maylene said.

"This manor is built to be exactly like the old one. It's faithfully reproduced down to the finest cracks in the pillars." Tanaka continued.

"Reproduced?" Grell asked softly.

"The entire Phantomhive estate went down in flames three years ago."

"Th-Then… Forgive me for asking, but did Master Ceil's parents…?" Scarlett's eyes almost dulled over with a dark glaze.

"Yes. The previous generation of Phantomhive died in the fire." Tanaka confirmed.

Now, depressed, Grell went back to trimming the bushes. Scarlett got up and headed for the pavement standing right in the center, staring at the house, no one noticing her. _That's right…_ She thought. _Those many years ago all of us were completely and utterly unneeded by life, the young master gave us something only Sebastian was the one who found those ones. I stumbled here on my own. Thank you, God. And God bless you, Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive…_ She thought sadly.

"I see…" The sad Grell said.

Tanaka deflated and Grell panicked, leaving it up to Brad to explain to the butler what was up. And as the next commotion arose with the skull bushes, Scarlett was broken out of her trace and laughed at the others softly, unable to help it. And then it stopped when a certain someone pulled away the ladder Grell was using to hang himself on.

"Grell!" They all screamed.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Sebastian and Ceil descended from there to get to the door. Sebastian got there first ready to open the door for Ceil. "You must be tired, young master. I'll prepare your tea right away." He said. He opened the door and Ceil only did a double take before freezing in horror at the door. Realizing Ceil's condition Sebastian himself looked inside. "What's the mat-" He froze, anger and a violent bolt of disgrace rushed through Sebastian.

They saw inside the horror of the mansion that now looked like it was a woman's dress-up house. It was utterly pitiful. "My mansion…" Ceil said in awe.

"What in the world happened?"

"Sebastian!" Brad, Finian and Maylene screamed, running towards the butler, all of them dressed ridiculously. They all grabbed him, Maylene and Finian in tears and Brad angry.

"What on Earth happened? Or rather, why are you dressed like that?" He asked.

"Ask the crazy girl!" Brad proclaimed pointing at one of the doors.

"Crazy girl?" Ceil asked. Ceil and Sebastian went into the room that the servants came from. They found that the room was in aweful condition like the last on and Grell trying to hang himself. "What are you doing?" Ceil asked bursting into the room with everyone else. Grell looked just as ridiculous as the rest of them.

"As you can see, I'm on the verge of dying."

Ceil sighed, calmly. "Get him down Sebastian." He ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian walked towards Grell and a girl passed right by Sebastian swinging Grell a bit in the air.

"Ceil!" The blonde girl cried and embraced Ceil who grunted a bit at the impact. "Ceil, I missed you!" She said. Scarlett came in to the room, basket in hand that was filled with the silly decorations she took down a few but couldn't help but 'aw' at the scene before her.

"Elizabeth!" Ceil said.

"Aw!" She held him at arm's length. "You know I'm always telling you to call me "Lizzie"!" She had a big smile on her face while Ceil had become a stiff as a pole. She pulled him back to an embrace, cuddling him up. "Oh, every time I see you, you're just so cute!"

"I know right?" Scarlett muttered, laughing a bit at herself.

Sebastian went over to them with Grell in hand. "Lady Elizabeth."

She let Ceil go. "Oh, Sebastian." Ceil took a few steps away looking like he was going to pass out. Scarlett shook her head watching. She put the basket down and went to Ceil, lifting his head so he got fresh air. Elizabeth did a cursty. "Good afternoon." She told him. "Oh, no!" She said recognizing Grell. "You took him down?" She asked sad.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes, my lady. He mars the beauty of the room."

"Aw, but I made such a lovely decoration out of him!" She said.

"Decoration?" Sebastian asked.

Elizabeth nodded. Ceil turned to look at her no longer dizzy but Scarlett put her hands on his shoulder to make sure he was steady. "Yes! Look, the salon is so cute now too, isn't it?"

"My… mansion…" Ceil muttered with the same expression as everyone else, except Elizabeth.

"Only cute things can exist in this mansion!" The girl announced. She looked to the side. "Right, Antoinette?" She asked. They all looked at Tanaka who was dressed like a girl and who simply chuckled at the girl. Scarlett looked at Sebastian, speechless.

"Even you, Tanaka?" He asked, chuckling a bit.

"I have a present for you, too!" Elizabeth told Sebastian. And before he could turn to look at her she got a ridiculous old fashioned woman's hat that was pink and had flowers on it and put it on him that made him look like a baby. "Oh, it's so cute!" Everyone started snickering at him. "You're always dressed all in black, so I thought this might be good!"

He gave the others a deadly glare. The straightened out feeling their prides wounded greatly. He turned his gaze to the still giggling Scarlett who was still holding Ceil. She simply shrugged at him. Sebastian bowed deeply. "I am deeply honored at your consideration for my humble self." He said, lying through his teeth.

"Don't mention it!" Elizabeth boomed.

Ceil looked up. "More importantly, Lizzie, what are you doing here? Where's Auntie?"

Elizabeth went over and took Ceil's hands. "I snuck away because I wanted to see you, Ceil!" The blonde pulled the boy out of Elizabeth's arms and embraced the boy.

Ceil stiffened again. "Sn-Snuck away?" He asked. "What were you thinking?"

"Er… Who is she?" Grell asked.

"Oh, this is the daughter of the Marquess of Scotney, Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford."

"Sc-Scotney? Eliza-za-za…." Grell struggled to say.

"Lazy Elizabeth is my young master's betrothed." Sebastian said.

"Ah, his betrothed." Grell said until he realized the meaning of those words.

"Be-" Brad started.

"Tro-" Finian said next.

"Thed?" Maylene ended.

Scarlett went to Sebastian and took that hat off getting disgusted at the sight of him like that. As she did that, the butler spoke. "Lady Elizabeth is the daughter of marquess, after all. Noblemen must marry noble ladies, obviously."

"Say, I know!" Everyone turned to look at her. "Now that the mansion looks so lovely and all, let's have a ball tonight!" Ceil had a negative reaction and the servant were confused. "And I'll dance all around with my fiancé as my escort!" She did a turn with him. "How lovely!" She proclaimed and embraced him again.

"Hey! Who gave you the leave to-!"

"Wear the clothes I picked out for you, won't you Ceil? I just know they'll be adorable!"

Ceil got a bit agitated. "Listen to me when I'm-" He started only to be cut off again.

"And I must dress to the nines as well!" She said joyously. She rushed to Grell. "Come on, I'll make you even cuter too!" She said and rushed off with him.

"Listen to me!" Ceil cried out. Scarlett laughed as the door shut behind them. She gently touched his shoulder.

"Just do what she says, you might have a good time." Scarlett smiled at Ceil. "Now, go to your office and be prepared for the ball." She told him. Ceil groaned and went off, Sebastian behind him.

Ceil did go to his office and collapsed in his seat resting his head on the desk. He heaved a great sigh as Sebastian poured the tea. "I believe the wisest thing to do today would be to go along with her plan and then ask her to leave."

"Just give her some dinner or something and get her out of here!" Ceil whined sitting up. "I don't have the time to go along with her girlish hobbies."

Sebastian placed Ceil's tea onto his desk. "But my lord, it appears Lady Elizabeth desires a dance." Ceil brought the cup and looked away. Sebastian picked up on that. "Young master?"

"What?" Ceil asked attempting not to snap at the butler.

"I've never seen you dance, but I presume you can do it?" Sebastian asked, calmly. Ceil took a few papers and buried his face in them, trying to avoid the butler's question. "Well, that explains why you play the wallflower when asked to parties." Sebastian took the cake he had prepared for Ceil and a knife, cutting a piece out for him.

Ceil did not remove the paper from his face. "I'm busy with work. I have no time to waste on play-"

Sebastian took the papers from Ceil, leaving him with a shocked expression. Sebastian leaned in, the young master retreated. "With all due respect, young master," Sebastian brought the cake close to Ceil's face. "it's called "social dance" for a reason," Ceil looked away in a tad bit of shame. "and is a skill that will naturally be necessary at soirees and banquets." Smelling the Orchard Fruit Cake became too much for Ceil and left him dizzy at the intoxicating scent. "The world expects a first-class gentleman to know how to dance." Sebastian stated with a dark look on his face. "If you reject anymore dance invitations, your reputation in society circles will plummet…"

Ceil waved his hand, to dismiss Sebastian and to get the scent of the cake out of his face. "Fine, I'll do it!" He proclaimed. "That'll make you happy, right?" He asked. He took the plate with the cake on it. "Call a tutor or something. Mrs. Bright or Mrs. Rodkin…."

Sebastian took out his clock again. "There's no time to call a madam now. By your leave…" He shut his clock in his hand, with a gentle motion. Ceil looked confused. "I will instruct you in dancing." He said placing his hand on his chest.

Ceil slammed his hands on the desk. "Don't be ridiculous! I can't dance with a tall man like you! And do you even know how to dance?" He asked raising his hand for emphasis.

"Leave the Viennese waltzes to me. I was often a guest at Schonbrunn Palace." Sebastian said, boasting and leaving Ceil shocked. He opened up his hand to Ceil. "May I have this dance, my lord?" Ceil got up and stood in front of Sebastian ready to learn to dance. "Now, begin the first step from your heel." He took Ceil's hand and placed it on his waist. "Please, hold the lady's back firmly." He instructed. Ceil felt awkward as Sebastian placed his left hand on Ceil's shoulder. "When the music begins, lead with your left foot. "Now." He said giving the instruction. Ceil began moving, Sebastian following.

Ceil stepped on Sebastian's foot, and gasped wanting to pull away.

"Next, a natural turn." Sebastian went on like it didn't matter. "Slide your foot forward." One wrong step and Ceil landed right into Sebastian's chest. Sebastian pulled him away gently holding him at arm's length examining his face. Sebastian sighed at the grumpy expression he had. "Your instinct for dance is not so much lacking as catastrophic, my lord." He said, bluntly. "You mustn't simply hand off of me."

"You're just too tall!" Ceil yelled at him.

Sebastian's hand slipped from Ceil's. "Most importantly, you must first do something about that glum expression." He pinched Ceil's cheek, trying to make him smile. "It's rude to the lady." He explained. He pulled up. "Here, smile. As if you're having fun." He said, smiling himself.

Feeling uncomfortable, Ceil slapped Sebastian's hand away. "Let go!" He screamed, leaving Sebastian shocked.

"Young master…" Sebastian muttered.

"Anyway, I've…" He played with his ring. "I've… forgotten how to smile like I'm having fun." He admitted.

Downstairs was a catastrophe. Grell was dressed up in a white dress making him look like a bride. "Th-This is… such a humiliating outfit…" He said.

Brad patted his shoulder. "Come on, just give up on this one." He said, he himself dressed in a humiliating manner.

"This girlish, infantile white color… If I have to dress up, I wish it were a passionate red, so I could look sexy and decadent!"

"That's your problem?" Brad shouted.

"If my only other choice is to live in shame, I'd rather… I'd rather die…!" He shouted ready to jump out the window. No one tried to stop him. He looked back sucking his thumb a bit like a child. "You're not going to stop me?" He asked.

In the corner Maylene was finishing up Elizabeth's hair. Scarlett who was dressed in a deep red like Elizabeth was sitting next to them watching. "I'm sure blue will look good on Ceil!" She said. Her deep red dress with a pink and white accent made her look like a swan. It was beautiful on the girl. "I fell in love with the clothes I bought while I was shopping in London!" She said. Maylene stepped back when she was done. "All right, it's your turn next. I'll make you adorable!" She said.

She reached up to take Maylene's glasses only to have her jump back in fear. "I'm really farsighted, and I can't see anything without these, no!" She screeched.

"You mustn't look at the dream world with your eyes. Feel it with your heart!" Elizabeth said. Scarlett shook her head and went to them holding Elizabeth's shoulders softly.

"Lady Elizabeth." The girl looked at her. "I think Maylene is beautiful just the way she is." She said. Her red hair fell over her shoulder since it was down and loose.

"But!" Elizabeth started and Scarlett dropped her hands, clasping them behind her, letting them fall on a big black bow that wrapped around her waist. "It'll look cute!" She said and went for Maylene's glasses.

"Let her be." Ceil's voice stated. Ceil was standing at top of the stairs wearing an elegant blue suit, his hand folded behind him. Sebastian dressed a little bit better too and he was holding Ceil's cane.

Elizabeth, Scarlett and Maylene were left almost speechless at Ceil. "Ceil! You are adorable!" She said. She ran to him and as he stepped onto the last step Elizabeth hugged Ceil spinning with him. "I judged rightly!" Ceil's hat went flying.

"Cute, cute, cute, cute…" With not taking her eyes off of Ceil she went and picked up his hat.

"Oh my." She stopped and examined his ring. "Ceil, where is the ring I brought you?" She asked putting on a angry farce. "There was a cute on that match your clothes!"

Ceil pulled his hand away. "This ring is just fine." He said.

"No!" Elizabeth shouted, over exaggerating now. "I went to so much trouble to make everything cute, but the ring isn't cute at all!" She collapsed on the floor crying. "So you don't want to wear the one I brought? You're so cruel!"

Ceil raised his hand. "That's not it. This ring is-" Ceil began explaining but Elizabeth jumped him.

"Just kidding!" She said smiling. She took his ring. "Got it!" She said.

"Lizzie!" Ceil shouted.

"Yes, it's far too big! The one I picked out is perfectly sized and –"

"Give it back!" Ceil snapped harshly at her. Everyone was shocked at his tone. "Give that back, Elizabeth." He ordered, holding his hand out.

"Wh-why? Are you so angry? I went to such trouble…" She started. Ceil glared. "What? All I did was try to make you adorable!" She cried. She turned red, really ready to cry. "So why are you so angry?" She raised her hand and tossed the ring to the ground. Scarlett tried to jump in to stop her or catch the ring. The ring broke, right before Ceil's eyes.

The sound echoed at his ears and he ran to her and raised his hand to hit her. She shut her eyes. Scarlett got in front of Elizabeth and Sebastian grabbed Ceil's hand. Ceil turned back Sebastian. "Young master…" He said in sort of a scolding tone, then with the utmost calm, he placed the walking cane in his hand. "You forgot the new walking stick we had made." He said, smiling gently.

Scarlett turned around hearing Elizabeth cry. She knelt in front of her and held her hands. Ceil stared panting clearing out his rage. Sebastian touched Scarlett's shoulder. She looked up at the butler and he gave her a small nod, and helped her back onto her feet. Sebastian now stood in front of Elizabeth. "That ring was very important to my master. The heads of the Phantomhive family passed it down for generations. It was a one of a kind." This shocked Elizabeth. "Please forgive my master's rudeness."

Stuttering, Elizabeth said, "I… I destroyed such a precious ring?"

Ceil picked it up. He started towards the window and ignored Elizabeth as she tried to apologize. He got to the open window and tossed it out as far as he could. Everyone was in shock.

As Ceil started walking away from the window, Elizabeth ran to it. "Ceil, how could you do that?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. It was just an old ring." He said. "Even without that thing… I'm still the head of the Phantomhives!" His strength was clear and his determination was too. He had grown. Everyone was in awe.

Scarlett smiled. "Happy, Michaelis?" She asked Sebastian. He answered her question with a smile.

Ceil took his hand from Scarlett and went to the crying Elizabeth. "How long are you going to cry?" He asked.

"B-But…" She protested.

Ceil put his hand back on. "Your face is a mess." He pulled out a handkerchief. "And you call yourself a lady?" He whipped her face and let her blow her nose. "I don't fancy asking a lady with such a messy face to dance…" He said, making Scarlett chuckle.

"Sebastian, you need to stop trying to act seductive around him. He's catching on." Scarlett told the butler. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at that.

Elizabeth took the handkerchief. "Ceil…" She whispered. They were distracted by Sebastian playing the violin at the top of the stairs.

"How wonderful!" Maylene said.

"So Sebastian can even play the violin!" Finian said in amazement.

Grell gasped. "I'll join him!" he said and ran to the bottom of the stairs and started to sing.

"What the hell? He sounds good!" Brad shouted.

Ceil held out his hand to Elizabeth. "Soiree etiquette is to forget all the unpleasant things and dance the night away, right, my lady?" Ceil asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes!" She said and took his hand. They did danced until the sun set the music beautiful behind them.

Elizabeth was a sleep in her carriage that night. "I-I shall take responsibility for escorting Lady Elizabeth home!" Grell said.

"You gonna be alright?" Brad asked back in his normal attire.

"Yes. I'm a more deadly efficient butler than I look." He said. "That's right- Sebastian," He walked over to the butler and took his hand. "I've learned from you what it means to be a butler!" He released Sebastian's hands. "They say that before a person dies, his life flashes before his eyes. I'm sure that if I die, the dreamland I saw tonight will flash before me over and over!"

Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. "_You're_ saying that?"

"I have the feeling a man like him will never die." Maylene said.

"God forbid." Scarlett muttered.

As the carriage drove off Ceil muttered, "Good grief, what a rotten day." He was inside his room, Sebastian putting him in his pajamas.

"You seemed to be quite enjoying yourself." He said.

Ceil put his hand over his hand that was missing a ring. "Don't be a fool." He winced realizing the ring wasn't there.

"Which of us is the fool?" Sebastian asked. Ceil said nothing. Sebastian knelt down in front of Ceil. "This is important for you, isn't it? And yet you showed off for Lady Elizabeth…" He cupped one of Ceil's hands in between his and flipped both hands off to reveal the ring undamaged in on Ceil's finger. Ceil gasped and looked up at Sebastian, who was smiling deviously. "A Phantomhive butler who can't do this isn't worth his salt." He said. "This ring exists to be on your finger. Please cherish it."

Ceil's eyes reminisced. "True… this ring has witnessed the deaths of many masters. My grandfather, my father and… I'm sure it will be present at my death as well." Sebastian slipped Ceil's eyepatch onto the side table. "It heard the dying screams of the family heads over and over." Ceil's hands reached up and grasped his hair, in agony. "When I close my eyes, I can hear them… those wretched voices…" He lowered his hands. "I thought to myself, "If I throw away the ring, maybe I'll stop hearing them." Ridiculous, isn't it?"

Sebastian watched. "Goodness, look how high the moon has risen." Ceil laid down and turned to the side. "You'll make yourself sick this way. Please, get some rest." He covered up Ceil and stood taking the candelabra with him.

"Sebastian," Ceil called out as he opened the door finding Scarlett there about to knock with a glass of water in hand and her own candelabra. "Stay by my side until I fall asleep." Ceil said.

Scarlett looked at the boy with soft eyes. "Oh my, you would display weakness in front of me?" Sebastian asked.

"It's just an order." Ceil said.

Scarlett blew out the candles. Sebastian walked to Ceil and knelt down in front of the bed. "I'll stay by you always, young master. Until the end…"

Once he was asleep Sebastian stood. Scarlett walked over to him and placed the cup of water on the table. Sebastian watched the maid kissed Ceil's head. "Good night, Ceil." She whispered to him. She got up and walked out besides the butler. Sebastian closed the door behind her. Scarlett didn't even tell him good night before going off leaving Sebastian at the door letting him reflect on the day.

Sebastian covered his face and smiled as he slipped his hand off. _Now… I must prepare for tomorrow._ He thought disappearing into the darkness of the hallway, even with the candles as his guide.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: "His Butler, Capricious."

Sebastian was driving the carriage through London with a nerve wrecked maid and impatient earl. When Sebastian pulled the carriage into a townhouse, he helped only Ceil out and that was strike one of Scarlett. "Ugh, there are too many people in London!" He whined.

"I'm not alone." Scarlett whispered with a smile.

Sebastian opened the door for them. "From the country manor house to the London townhouse…" Sebastian closed the door behind them as Ceil alone went up the stairs and only Scarlett waited for Sebastian to catch up before they all started up the stairs. "It's traditional for the nobility to move en masse for the season."

"The season, eh? Honestly, these cretins have too much free time." Ceil muttered.

"Getting away from the estate occasionally might provide a nice change of pace." Sebastian explained. "For one thing, those four aren't here…" He smiled back at the maid. "Oops, forgive me Scarlett."

The red head's hair matched the color on her face an anime vein popping out the side of her head. "Ever hear about a red head's fiery temper, Michaelis?" She asked.

"Oh, yes I know it very well." He said with a happy smile, only infuriating the red head more. "And we should be able to spend some quiet time, my lord."

"Quiet time, hmm?"

Sebastian opened the door to the study to find the place turned upside down with Madam Red, Grell and Lau. Scarlett became dizzy at the sight of how the room looked. Sebastian grabbed her holding her steady.

"For goodness's sake! Wherever do they keep the tea in this place?" Madam Red cried out tossing a book out if it place. Scarlett squealed, feeling weaker.

Lau searched the floral porcelain pot. "It's not in here either." The thought that it would break was the last straw for Scarlett and she passed out back onto the butler. Both butler and the young master were shocked. Their 'should be able to spend some quiet time' was ruined.

"Oh, silly! Of course it's not over there."

"Madam Red? Lau? What are you doing here?" Ceil yelled. Sebastian slapped the maid's cheek waking her up.

"Goodness, you're early." Madam Red said.

Lau smiled. "You coming here can mean only one thing."

"The Queen's guard dog is making a move." Madam Red said.

Sebastian and Scarlett had prepared food for the three that were there, trying to keep Grell out of the kitchen and away from the help. Once they were done and had set up the table in an elegant fashion Ceil sipped his tea and looked out to the other two and Sebastian and Scarlett were standing besides Ceil. "Another prostitute was murdered in Whitechapel yesterday." Ceil informed them. "These aren't ordinary murders. They're bizarre… no, you could fairly call them aberrant."

"A special blade was used on the most recent victim, Mary Ann Nichols, and she was torn apart beyond all recognition." Sebastian also informed.

"Here's what Scotland Yard and the press are caling the criminal:"

"Jack the Ripper." Scarlett finished for her master.

"Jack the Ripper, eh?" Lau asked.

"So I hurried to London to ascertain the situation." Ceil said.

Lau chuckled and put his tea cup down. "Do you have the guts to see the scene of the crime?" He asked with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Ceil asked.

"The darkness and bestial stench that pervade the scene eat away at those who share the same destiny. If you set foot upon it you may be consumed by madness. Are you prepared for that, Lord Phantomhive?" He reached out and touched the Earl's face. Scarlett's hands tightened around the tray she was holding her green eyes flashing to the butler who looked back and with his eyes alone rejected her wish. Her eyes moved back Ceil and Lau.

"I came here to dispel her worries. Don't ask foolish questions." Ceil dismissed.

"Very nice, I like the look in your eye." Lau said.

Everyone went to the scene of the crime. Ceil, Sebastian and Scarlett heading towards the brick building. "What brings you here? This is no place for a child. Go on home." Officer Abberline said, looking at his papers.

"Where is the victim's corpse?" Ceil asked.

"Corpse? What are you saying?" he shouted back at Ceil.

"Abberline!"a man said. "What are you doing here, Lord Phantomhive?"

"You know him?" He office questioned.

"I came to clean up after the slow-moving hounds working this case," He lifted the letter from the Queen. "Sir Arthur Randall." He snatched the papers from the office and read them over. "It looks as if you haven't got many clues."

Randall took back the papers. "We of Scotland Yard will solve this case. We don't need your interference."

"Excellent. Let's go, Sebastian, Scarlett." Ceil said.

"Yes my lord." Sebastian said and they followed Ceil, taking their leave.

"What are you going to do?" Madam Red asked as her, Grell and Lau rejoined the trio.

"Best thing would probably be to visit him." Ceil said.

"My lord! You don't mean…" Lau said.

"Indeed I do."

In a moment they were standing in front of the Undertaker's shop. "So… where are we?" Lau asked.

Madam red turned around in a spark of anger. "You just spoke as if you knew all about it, didn't you?"

"It's a funeral parlor run by an acquaintance of the young master's." Sebastian explained.

"The Undertaker?" Madam Red asked.

Sebastian opened the door for everyone to enter. "Are you here, Undertaker?" Ceil asked out loudly.

There was a low chuckle that crept out Scarlett down to her bones. "I thought you'd drop by before long." Out a coffin crept open leaving only four people ready to piss their pants or skirts. "Welcome, my lord. Is today the day you'll condescend to enter one of my special coffins?" The obviously crazy white haired man asked.

"Certainly not. Today I—"

The Undertaker placed his hands on Ceil's face to silence him, making Scarlett want to puke by looking at his untrimmed long nails. "You don't have to tell me. I know." His hand pulled away and Scarlett sighed. "That wasn't the type of person customer fit for respectable people. I'll have you know, I made her beautiful."

"I want to hear about it." Ceil requested softly.

"Ah, I see, so the funeral parlor is your cover business." Lau said. "How much is the info?" He asked.

In a moment the Undertaker was towering over Lau. "I have no desire for any of the Queen's coins!" He looked at the Earl with a creepy look in his eye, half drooling he went over the Ceil. "Come on, my lord, give it to me! Give me prime laughter! Do that, and I'll tell you anything."

"Freak." Ceil muttered to his escorts.

"Leave it to me." Lau said. "Behold the genius of the man that Shanghai called the Sleeping Tiger of New Year's Parties! "Every calendar's days are numbered!" Huh?" He questioned when no one laughed.

Madam Red stepped forward. "If I must… Madam Red, the belle of fashionable society, will tell you her special story! So, his [CENSORED] was completely flaccid and [CENSORED], but when I [CENSORED], the [CENSORED] tip bobbing like [CENSORED]—"

The Undertaker put red Xs over Lau's and Madam Red's mouth. "Now, my lord, you're the only one left." He raised his hand in front of Ceil's face. "I gave you a special discount last time, but I won't do it again." He dropped his hand and Ceil frown seeped even lower on his face.

"Damn it…"

"I see there's no help for it." Sebastian said and stepped up.

"Sebastian?" The Earl muttered.

Scarlett scoffed. "Michaelis can be funny?"

"Everyone please wait outside." He asked gently fixing his gloves. "You must not peek inside on any account." As told they all stood outside in silence, waiting frightened and bewildered. They all jumped at the loud laugh of the Undertaker and the sign fell down in front of the door. Sebastian opened the door with a smile on his face. "Please come in. It appears he will tell use everything."

Inside the Undertaker was resting his head on one of the coffins. "Ahaha… I've seen my Utopia…" He muttered. He had everyone seated and brought them tea, in beakers, and let them sit on the coffins. "These days I often get customers who are incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes, incomplete… the wombs are missing." Everyone jumped, shocked. "Though the killer makes quite violent splatter, the wombs themselves are neatly cut out. It was done on a public road, even if it was not a high-traffic one… Wouldn't such a excision have been difficult for an amateur, particularly in the middle of the night?"

"You're a sharp one, butler. That's my opinion as well." He went over to Ceil putting his hand on his shoulder and leaned in to his ear. "First the Ripper slashes their throats with a sharp hand weapon," He placed his hand near Ceil's throat. "then cuts this part open…." He placed his other hand near his stomach, where a woman's womb would be. "and takes what's precious to them." Ceil looked disturbed even more so when the Undertaker poked his cheek with his nail. Sebastian smiled when he saw Scarlett's hand pressing against her womb. He resisted a chuckle and looked back at the Undertaker once more. "I'm sure there will be others killed. People like that don't stop until someone stops them." Taking a few steps away the Undertaker looked at the Earl. "Can you do it, o villainous noble Lord Phantomhive?"

"On the honor of my family crest, I eliminate anyone who defiles the Queen's garden, without exception… and by any means necessary."

They all got back onto their carriage riding through the city. "What he said narrows down the field of suspects considerably." Ceil said.

"First, those well versed in medicine or dissection. Among from them, those who have no alibis for the nights before the murders' discoveries. And given the removal of internal organs, it seems ritualistic… we should consider those involved with secret societies and black magic."

"That doesn't "narrow the field" at all!" Madam Red proclaimed. "I'm a doctor; I could have done the dissection! And summer is ending. Before another week passes the season will be over, and any doctors the noblemen brought in from the country will go back ho—"

"Then we'll simply conclude our investigation before then." Sebastian said.

"What?" Lau asked hearing the impossible.

"A Phantomhive butler who can't do that much isn't worth his salt." He said. Madam Red and Lau were shocked at his confidence. "I'll make a list of suspects now and question all of them." Sebastian informed Ceil. Sebastian opened the carriage door. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" He jumped out closing the door behind him.

Lau and Madam Red jumped to the window. "This carriage is moving!" She cried out.

"Sebastian said he'd do it. We can just sip some tea and wait." Ceil informed the others. They got back to the house only to see the butler standing right there bowing.

"Welcome back. I've been awaiting your arrival." Ceil handed him his hat. "Your afternoon tea is ready."

Scarlett's jaw dropped. "I was going to do that." She said, walking in after Ceil.

"How did you get here?" Madam Red shouted.

"I finished my errands, so I came home ahead of you." Sebastian explained.

"You already finished your suspect list?"

"No…" Madam Red relaxed. "I merely created a list of names based on the criteria we discussed, contacted them all and directly collected their statements." He said holding three scrolls of paper.

Madam Red scoffed. "Come now, Sebastian, even for you that would be impossible… "

Sebastian opened up one scroll. "Richard Oswald, family doctor of the Duke of Bailey. Has an alibi: he spent the night with his friends at the White Horse pub. No connection to secret societies." Ceil watched his butler from the stairs a proud smirk on his face. Scarlett shook her head and kept going up the stairs going to the kitchen. "Madam Heavitt, surgeon at the Royal London Central Hospital. Has an alibi: she was with a boy at the Stipple Inn. Has no connection with any secret societies. William Somerset, family doctor of the Earl Chambers. Has an alibi: he was at a party hosted by Earl Harwood. No connection to secret societies." The butler went on leaving the three by the door to their own thoughts and feelings.

Quickly the butler was done and let the last paper slip from his hands. "Through this investigation, I've narrowed it down to one person. Who meets the criteria."

"Are you really just a butler? Are you sure you're not a military intelligence officer?" Madam Red asked.

"No, I am merely one hell of a butler."

After about an hour of planning Sebastian went up to the kitchen to find Scarlett hard at work over the sink. Almost sensing him and not even needing to turn around she snapped, "What do you want Michaelis?" She questioned.

"Ouch, such a harsh tone from such a young and lovely lady." Sebastian chuckled and went to her. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Washing the dishes from this morning and getting ready to make dinner." She said.

"How about not making dinner tonight?"

"No, I think everyone wants a bit of dinner."

"How about going out to a ball instead?"

"No. Michealis."

Sebastian smiled at the red head. He grabbed her hand and turned her over and held her in a position so that they were in a position that they could start dancing. Scarlett looked angry, her hands were wet and she didn't like this at all. "Madam Red has set a dress out for you, tonight, you will be my wife, and Ceil will be dressed up and I will be her tutor and Ceil will be Madam Red's niece and we will infiltrate a place and find out if one of lords of London is Jack the Ripper."

Scarlett laughed. "I refuse!" She stated.

Sebastian smiled and started a waltz. "No refusals, my lady. Plus, how can you refuse when you're already dancing." He looked into her eyes as she stared right back with no fear evident in her eyes. "What are you so scared of, Scarlett?"

"Who's the target?" She asked dismissing his question.

"Aleister Chambers, the Viscount Druitt…. He graduated from medical school, but has not gone into practice. He's thrown several parties at his home. However, people say he simultaneously holds secret parties that only his intimates may attend." Sebastian said in the car.

"I've heard rumors that he's into black magic and that sort of thing." Madam Red said.

"So you suspect that at these underground parties, they perform ceremonies and sacrifice the prostitutes?"

"Tonight is the last party of the season. We only have one chance." Ceil said, stepping out of the carriage dressed in a pink dress like a girl.

"Ceil will play my niece visiting from the country, Sebastian will play Ceil's tutor and Scarlett his wife." Madam Red said.

"Why do I have to play your niece?" Ceil asked blushing.

"I always wanted a girl." Madam Red said innocently.

"That's your reason?"

Madam Red leaned into Ceil. "You can't let them find out you're a Phantomhive, can you?" Ceil's eyes widened. "What's more, I'm told Lord Druitt is a ladies' man of catholic tastes, so this is to your advantage!" Ceil looked like he was going to pass out.

"Didn't you say you'd use any means necessary?" Sebastian asked.

Ceil glared at the butler. "Don't bother the young master!" Scarlett almost said loudly.

"First we must find the viscount." Sebastian said alongside Scarlett as they followed Ceil.

"I never want Elizabeth to see me in an outfit like this…" He said noticing that Elizabeth was here too.

"Oh, that dress is so cute!" She proclaimed. The three turned in horror that they were found out. "There are so many lovely dresses here! How cute!"

"S-S-Sebas…" Sebastian and Scarlett stared at Ceil's horrified face.

"Young mas— er, mistress, please calm down." Sebastian placed his hand on Ceil's back. "We'll take this opportunity to…"

"Oh!" They all froze. "That girl's dress is absolutely adorable!"

"Go dance!" Scarlett muttered to the two. "Get lost in the crowd or something."

"Over there." Sebastian pointed out and they all hid behind the large cake in the center. Elizabeth got confused and lost them.

"This is no good. I had no idea Lady Elizabeth would be here…" Sebastian started.

"If people found out the family head was dressed like this…"

"The shame would stain the Phantomhives for generations." Sebastian said adding fuel to the fire.

"Let's just join Madam Red and the others."

They went over to her only to find her surrounded by men. "No need to stand on ceremony with me."

_She's have a grand old time…_ Ceil thought.

"Oh there she is." Ceil heard a Elizabeth voice say he dashed forward. Sebastian grabbed his arm.

"Right this way, Miss." They started running towards the balcony. Sebastian stopped at a server. "Please serve some lady lemonade." He said.

Scarlett turned around but Sebastian grabbed her arm and with her and Ceil in hand he made it to the balcony. They caught their breaths. "Why do these things always happen to me?" Ceil asked.

"Lord Druitt is as gorgeous as ever tonight. His hair is like spun gold!" They heard the girl's say.

They looked to see the man that they were talking about. "That's the Viscount Druitt? Let's go." Ceil said.

"Alright." Sebastian replied.

The songs started. "Oh hell… I can't get near him like this." Ceil muttered.

"Go dancing like I said before. And if you catch his attention it'll be to your advantage. My lady." Scarlett said.

Sebastian took Ceil's hand. "If you want us to dance so much…" Scarlett smiled as Sebastian and Ceil frowned.

"Are you telling me to dance in public? With you?" Ceil asked.

"Right now, I'm merely one hell of a tutor. Tonight, I may publically dance with you in all propriety, Miss."

"Y-You're right…"

"Let's go, Miss." They began their dance but when Sebastian caught sight of Elizabeth he tried to get away. "We'll cut through the crowd just like this." He muttered. By the end of it Scarlett was where they ended up and Ceil was completely out of breath. "I'm ashamed of you, becoming exhausted so easily. Sebastian helped Ceil up.

The Viscount clapped. "You danced like a lovely little robin, Miss."

Sebastian bowed. "Miss, I'll go get you something to drink." He said and took his leave.

"I'll go with him." Scarlett said leaving as well, leaving the rest up to Ceil.

Awkwardly Ceil bowed. "G-Good evening, Lord Druitt." He went to him and picked up his hand.

"Are you having fun... " He took her hand and kissed it. "My dear little robin?"

"It's a wonderful party. I'm so very impressed. But I've been wanting to talk to you, my lord."

"Oh?"

"I'm sick to death of dancing and eating."

The Viscount smirked. "What a pampered princess you are, little robin." He placed his hand on his waist. "So you want something more amusing to do?" He asked and trailed his hand down his side.

Ceil shuddered. _Endure it… Endure it, Ceil… _The boy thought. _This is the whole reason that you let them do all those terrible things to you!_ "Do you know of something more amusing, my lord?"

Druitt cupped Ceil's chin. "But of course. And I'm willing to tell you, my darling little robin." _The moment this is all over. I'm going to kill this guy!_

"What is it?" Ceil asked innocently like the thought of killing the man before him never ran through his head. _ I have to draw him out somehow before the dance is over. _Ceil looked over at Elizabeth. _What? She's looking this way!_

"Do you want to know?"

"I'm very interested." _If Elizabeth comes this way, everything goes down the drain._

"You might be a bit young for it."

_Hurry!_ "I'm a lady, not a child. _Hurry!_ _The dance is over! She's coming!_ He thought seeing the blonde coming over to them.

Druitt cupped Ceil's chin again. "What has you so distracted?" He asked.

"Er…" _My life is over!_ Ceil thought right before in came the cavalry and a closet fell in front of the lady, Sebastian next to it. Scarlett cocked an eyebrow from the audience.

"That's a big little thing you wanted to get, honey." She joked finishing his drink.

He stood wearing a mask. "Ladies and gentlemen, I will now perform a magic show for you. Could I ask for your cooperation, sir?" Sebastian asked Lau.

"Me? Of course." Lau said going over to Sebastian.

"I don't recall ordering any parlor tricks…" the viscount muttered.

_Now it my chance! _Ceil put on his cute face. "I'm sick of parlor tricks too, my lord. Pretty please?" He asked, gently. _Ugh, gag me!_

"Alright, my little robin." He brought her away from everyone else into a dark part of the mansion. "Come in here." He said.

"After I go inside this chest, you bind it tightly with chains. Then, run it through with the sword. I shall come out perfectly unharmed." Scarlett got through people, knowing that not even Sebastian could do something like that. "There's no tricks or gimmicks to it. Feast your eyes on this wondrous magic." Sebastian got into the closet and closed the doors. The chains where on instantaneously.

Lau examined the sword for a moment before piercing Sebastian at every vital point in the body with multiple of them. Scarlett took a step forward. Sebastian opened up the closet just as he said. Scarlett blood pressure must have dropped because she was ready to pass out.

"That was amazing, Sebastian." Madam Red said.

"Indeed! I was rather afraid I might have killed you." Lau said.

"Yes, it did hurt a bit. I didn't expect you to go right for my head. Anyone else would have been dead."

"So what was the trick to it?"

"You stabbed him that many times without knowing?"

"I told you:" the butler said when he was near Scarlett. "There were no tricks or gimmicks." Scarlett wrapped an arm around Sebastian, and put her face in his chest.

"Stupid butler." She muttered.

"Did you actually think I was going to die?"

"Yes." She admitted.

The viscount opened up a door for Ceil. "We're going to a very nice place – quiet amusing." They entered and Druitt closed the door behind them. _What is this sickly sweet smell?_ Quickly Ceil began to lose consciousness. _Bloody hell… _He fell against the door. "Yes, it's a very nice place, little robin."

Ceil woke up from reliving Sebastian putting on that corset on him. _A dream?_ Ceil thought.

"And now, what you've all been waiting for: tonight's crown jewel." Ceil sensed the lights being turned on but couldn't see anything due to the blindfold over his eyes but he wouldn't recognize anyone anyways since everyone was wearing masks. "You may enjoy her as a decoration, or make a pet of her. I imagine she'd even make an attractive part of a ceremony. Or if you want to sell her parts individually, that's up to you. Her eyes bear the contrasting color of a deep forest and the sea reflecting a beautiful sky. _A black market auction?_ I shall show you now." _So he sold the organs of the prostitutes he killed here?_ Someone came behind him and took off his blind fold and with both eyes Ceil stared at everyone. "We'll start from a thousand guineas."

"2000!"

"3500!" Ceil opened up his eyes.

"5000!"

"Here I am, Sebastian." He said. All the lights went out in that instant.

"What's that?" Druitt asked, scared a bit. Suddenly screams and groans became evident in the air and the candles lit back up when it was all over.

"Good grief…" Sebastian said. "You're truly good for nothing but getting yourself captured."

"As long as I have the contract, you'll follow me anywhere with or without my summons."

"A "contract" is a mark demons place on their prey to keep track of it. The more noticeable a place you put it in, the more executable it is. In exchange…"

"…. The prey never escapes the demon." Ceil finished.

Sebastian pried the bars of the cage he was in apart. "Yes, I shall accompany you anywhere, right up until the end. I shall never leave your side, even if I should perish. I shall go with you even to the far reaches of Hell. I do not lie… unlike humans." With the lift of his finger the ropes the bound Ceil were cut.

"Good. Never lie to me, whatever anyone else may do. Never." Ceil ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian said, bowing to his master.

"This solves the Jack the Ripper case. It was unexpectedly easy…." Ceil said.

Sebastian smiled. "I imagine Scotland Yard will be here before long. We shouldn't stay here." He placed Ceil up on his shoulder supporting him with on hand alone. He took off his glasses and looked at Ceil. "Well, shall we go?"

He took a sprint out the window and a huge leap of faith down the next nearest roof top. They disappeared into their carriage where Scarlett was waiting. Thankfully they all got home in one piece. The morning though left something for a surprise. The newspaper was brought in by Lau and he set it on the table.

"Jack the Ripper Strikes Again?"

"So that means the viscount wasn't our man?" Madam Red asked pointing out the obvious.

Ceil was shaking with anger. He was over the news paper staring at it as if his anger would change the headline. Scarlett looked up at the butler and he looked at her. "Who is it?" She asked.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: His Butler, Chance Encounter.

"This is no time to be playing chess." Ceil told his aunt as he moved the pawn across the black and white board.

"Working obsessively at it will lead to no good." Madam Red said. "Why not leave everything to Sebastian?"

"He's just my chess piece." Ceil explained. "I'm the one who moves him by giving him orders. But he's not an ordinary chess piece. He can advance as my squares as he likes at once… Like this." Ceil demonstrated and knocked down Madam Red's king just with his knight that was too far away to it to do that.

Madam Red gawked at the move. "That's against the rules!" She stated the obvious.

"Yes," Ceil said, knitting his fingers in front of him. "if this were a game, it would be. But rules have no meaning in this world. There are always knights who break the rules, and pawns who betray. If you let your guard down, before you know it…" He placed his other knight down into position, "it's checkmate."

"You must've had other choices in life besides being the underworld's guard dog." Madam Red muttered to her nephew. "My sister… your mother must have wanted something else for you, too." Ceil took his cup of tea. "And yet you returned to the underworld… Is it because you're trying to avenge your parents' murders?" Ceil lowered his cup from his lips.

"Revenge won't bring the dead back, and it certainly won't make them happy. But… I didn't come back to the house of Phantomhive for my predecessors' sakes." Ceil said, staring into the depths of his blue ring that matched his eye. Staring at it he remembered finding it, like it was meant to happen. Ceil rose his downcast gaze and looked at his aunt. "I did it for me." He stated with no room for argument. Madam Red looked sorrowfully at the boy. "I just want to make the people who betrayed and defiled my family suffer the same humiliation and pain that I suffered."

Madam Red lowered her head. "I still remember the day you were born." She got up and started over to Ceil's seat. "You were so tiny and so cute, I thought, "I have to protect him." I wasn't able to have a child," She placed her hand on his head. "but I think of you as my own son." She said softly. "I wish you'd leave the under—"

Ceil moved her hand away. "Being here now is something I wanted, and something I chose. I don't regret it, and I can't let anyone spoil me."

Later on that night, as Madam Red was taking her leave Sebastian helped her put her coat on like a gentleman. She fixed the bow on her collar and said, "You don't have to escort me, Sebastian."

"But my lady…" He immediately protested.

She looked into his eyes. "Please don't leave that boy's inside. Make sure he doesn't stray from the path and get lost."

Sebastian knelt in front of her. "Fear not. I shall stay by his side and protect him to the end." He said.

Madam Red smiled. "Scarlett." She called to the girl going down the stairs. The two red heads locked eyes. "Come outside with me for a minute." Scarlett's gaze turned to Sebastian and his gaze told her to do it with no questions. The maid nodded. Scarlett descended the last few steps, her mouth becoming dry.

Scarlett opened the door for Madam Red to find Grell stand there with an umbrella. "I've come for you, my lady." He said.

The flash of lightning made Scarlett jump a bit. In a flash Sebastian grabbed Scarlett's arm just as she saw Madam Red's dead eyes. "Let's let the talk wait from some other time, Madam Red. It's getting late and I would hate if any of you got pneumonia." He said bowing a little bit.

"Very well." She said and left. Sebastian closed the door behind her. Scarlett started shivering from head to toe.

Sebastian looked at the startled maid. "I hate London…" She said.

"Pull yourself together. I think you to have figured out the murder." Sebastian released the maid. "Let's go inform the young master." He pulled a few papers out of his jacket. "I have the evidence right here." Scarlett nodded. They got up to Ceil's room and Sebastian knocked on the door. He opened the door and entered.

Ceil opened his eyes and looked at them, "Well?" He asked.

Sebastian went to Ceil and Scarlett closed the door. "No matter how many times I examine it, the result is the same." Ceil got up. "The viscount had nothing to do with yesterday's murder. Indeed. None of the humans inside his mansion could have done it."

"Humans?" Scarlett asked.

"Quite… none of the humans there… Anyway, tomorrow we'll…" He said running his fingers through his hair. "Sebastian!" Ceil said, letting the words sink in. "Don't tell me you…?"

"I've told you over and over: I do not lie. Involved in medicine , ties to secret societies or black magic, and no alibi for the nights before the bodies were found: The only human that fits those criteria is the Viscount Druitt."

Ceil looked angry. "Was your investigation just a farce, then?"

"You see, I am merely one hell of a butler. I simply faithfully carry out my master's orders and instructions." Ceil glared. Sebastian tossed the papers up into the air. "With one order from you, I can become your pawn or your sword." He placed his hand over his heart. "Now, put the villain in check, Master."

Ceil nodded. "Yes."

Sebastian turned to Scarlett. "Tonight, do not go to sleep under any circumstances." Scarlett tilted her head. "You need to lock and doors and all windows and let absolutely no one but me and the master in here, understood." Scarlett nodded.

"Why, Sebastian?" Ceil asked.

"Unfortunately, young master, Scarlett is a potential victim." Sebastian smiled down at the maid. "Isn't that right, Miss Kinsey?"

"Damn butler." She muttered to him. "Leave my past alone, Michaelis."

The butler raised his hands innocently. "I'm not praying at all, Kinsey."

Scarlett smiled at Ceil. "I'll leave you to get ready." She got out of the room. She closed the door and pressed her back against it. "I hate London… I wish I never came back." She muttered. "I didn't count my blessings for three years I suppose." She muttered and started walking down the hall to the kitchen.

They left and went to their destination, hiding on the other side of the corner of where the target lived. "He'll show up if we stake out this place, right?" Ceil asked.

"Yes," The butler confirmed.

"It's true that the murdered prostitutes had other things in common besides having their organs removed."

"Beautiful, glossy black hair." Sebastian muttered, out of it.

"But why should he have to kill them?" Ceil asked, thinking out loud.

"Sinfully lovable." Sebastian continued.

"And I –"

"So softy… yes, so soft… So soft…"

"Listen when I'm talking to you!" Ceil yelled finding Sebastian in the middle of stroking a cat, more so found him in the middle of his cat fetish.

Sebastian averted his eyes from the cat. "I apologize. She's a rare beauty. So soft…"

A scream pierced the air. They both jumped in the direction of it. "No one could have gotten past us…" Ceil said in awe.

"Let's go!" Sebastian said. Ceil ran at the door and blindly he opened it up. He froze up, a speck of blood hitting his cheek. He saw the horror of what had happened there. Sebastian got behind Ceil and covered up his eyes. "No!" He said. He jumped back with Ceil still covering his eyes.

Ceil started stammering, had trouble breathing, He was revolted and he couldn't get the image out of his head, he couldn't get the feel of the blood hitting him off of his cheek. It was still warm, still there on his cheek. Everything came up all at once, he fell forward and vomiting, Sebastian still holding him, looking at him and supporting Ceil's body as it went limp against the butler.

Sebastian heard the footstep and looked up at the door. "That's quite a mess you made, Jack the Ripper… or should I say, Grell Sutcliff?"

A shocked Grell stepped out into the light for the rain. "Y-You have it all wrong!" He said. "I heard the scream and ran over here, but she was already…"

"I think you can stop playing innocent in that body, Grell. This is the first time I've met someone like you in the human world. You performed the role of "harmless incompetent butler" quite adeptly."

Blood trickled down Grell's cheek making him look like he was tearing blood. "Adeptly?" He asked softly. He revealed his sharp toothed grin. His green eyes, shined with craze. "Do you think so?" He asked. Pulled off the ribbon in his hear and the glasses on his eyes. "That's right. I'm an actress, honey." He took out a comb and combed his hair, letting it go back to its natural red color. "I am absolutely first rate." He put on fake lashes and more modern glasses. "But you're not "Sebastian" either, are you?"

"That's the name I received from my young master, so yes, I am…at the moment."

"My, so you're a "faithful dog" character. Though for a fine-looking man like you, that's fabulous too. Well then, Sebastian… no, Sebas-chan… let me re-introduce myself. I am Grell Sutcliff, butler to the Burnetts. I'm sure we two butler can get along marvelously." He sent a kiss towards Sebastian which he completely let pass over him. "Ah, I finally get to meet you in my true form! I'd never seen a demon playing a butler before, so I was surprised when I first saw you!"

That's my line. I never imagined someone like you would play a butler. Someone who stands neutral between man and God… a grim reaper. Why would a divine being such as yourself bother to play a butler?"

"Good question. Perhaps I should say I fell in love with a certain woman."

Ceil raised his head shocked. "And that woman would be?"

"You don't need to ask, do you?" Madam Red's voice sounded from the room the prostitute laid dead in. Ceil raised Sebastian's hand wanting to see for himself if it was true.

To his dismay it was true, before him stood his own aunt. "Madam…" He muttered under his breath.

"I didn't calculate on anyone being able to see Grell for what he is." Madam Red said.

"Naturally you were on the initial suspect list. But your alibi was perfect."

Madam Red tilted her head. "You suspected even your own aunt?"

"If you had the potential to be Jack, any blood relation was irrelevant. None of the humans on the suspect list could have committed all the murders. But if one hand an inhuman accomplice that would change everything. If he could enter the room in an instant without our noticing, he could also instantaneously get from the viscount's to East End. You two are the only ones who could be Jack the Ripper… Madam Red and Grell Sutcliff. Jack the Ripper's victims had other things in common. They all underwent a certain surgery at London Central Hospital, where you work. The only patient on the list who hadn't yet been killed was Mary Kelly, who lived in that flat." Ceil showed them the list. "I thought you'd show up here if I kept an eye on the place. I couldn't save her though…" Ceil muttered out the last part.

"This is unfortunate, my beloved nephew Ciel… If you hadn't figured it out, we could have played chess together again." She tightened her hands into fists. "But… I won't give anything up this time!"

Grell took out his electric machine and went for Ceil. Sebastian got in the way and caught it in time. "Wh-what is that?" Ceil asked, as Sebastian sent Grell flying back.

"Grim reapers possess tools for harvesting souls. That's a reaper's sickle."

""Sickle" is such a dull name; don't call it that!" Grell cried out. "Not after I've customized it to my personal specifications! This is a "death scythe" only I can wield, and it can hack any being to pieces! I've behaved myself so well lately, I'm out of shape now! I want to get some real exercise for a change… with you."

Grell was trying to act sexy and it made Sebastian's eyebrow twitch. "Could I ask you not to say such repugnant things? I am on duty."

Grell's arms started waving. "How stoic you are! Yet another thing that makes you irresistible! You see, I love the color red. Red is my favorite color for hair, and clothes, and lipstick. So I paint those ugly women with pretty, pretty red blood." He moved into position for an attack. "Sebas-chan, I'll make you even finer looking than you already are. I'm really going to tear you up inside… And make you red like beautiful beautiful-scattered rose petals."

Sebastian turned around to reject him. "A grim reaper quietly harvests the souls of the dying." He took off his jacke and placed it over Ceil. "A butler subserviently follows his master like a shadow." He said mostly to Ceil. "Your vulgarity violates the aesthetics of both, and quite frankly, I find it sickening."

Grell smirked. "Oh, Sebas-chan, you wound me." He said. "I'm a more deadly efficient butler than I look!" He said and struck a pose.

Ceil slipped the eye patch from his eyes gently and without sound. "In my own black name and that of the Queen, I order you: put an end to them!"

Sebastian's eyes glowed like Ceil's. "Yes, my lord." He brought his hand up, pulling the glove down, tightly onto his hand.

The death scythe spun forcing Sebastian to dodge to avoid serious injury. "Ah, yes! Run more! We'll play tag, Sebas-chan!" Grell cried out, too enthusiastic about this. He was pushed back so far, and his dodge made the death scythe hit the wall behind them and as he landed on his feet, his shoes caused both smoke and skid marks on the pavement but the grim reaper was behind Sebastian in an instant. He twisted around and grabbed it as it came down upon him. His back hit the wall of the building and was too dangerously close to Sebastian's shoulder.

"Now, now." Grell started. "If you don't escape fast you'll get cut." The fabric of Sebastian's tail coat got torn causing Grell to smirk and shake his head. "It's so much more stimulating when it hurts a little, isn't it?"

Nearby where Madam Red and Ceil were they stared at each other, Madam Red breaking the silence first. "We've now become a guard dog and his prey." She said softly, smiling a bit, reaching into her sleeve. "If it's hun or be hunted…" Ceil's gaze was down cast not seeing the danger, not seeing the dagger Madam Red pulled out. "There's only once choice!" She said and ran at her nephew.

Ceil tried to move out of the way but cut is arm anyways. Sebastian's senses caused his to jump. "You're a doctor! Why do this?" Ceil asked.

"A kid like you would never understand even if I told him!" Madam Red yelled. She grabbed Ceil by the throat and thrust him again the wall, ready to kill him this time. She squeezed Ceil's throat and watched him gasp for breath. "You… You… "

_Scarlett was still the townhouse, cleaning, to preoccupy her time. Even if the house was already clean. She was muttering a lullaby and walking a bit to the soft rhythm of it. She stopped and looked out the window, frowning._

"You should never have been born!" She stared down at Ceil and suddenly had an envision of her sister on her wedding day, the eyes of her son on the face she loved so much, bathed in white an angelic look for an angelic person. Madam Red's eyes widened. "Sister…" She whispered.

"Young master!" Sebastian screamed. Losing his grip Sebastian's blood scattered everywhere. He was over the Madam that had covered her eyes, in her own horror of what she was about to do.

Ceil gawked at Sebastian's form. "Stop, Sebastian!" Ceil ordered. "Don't kill her!" He added right before Sebastian grabbed her. Madam Red dropped the knife and stepped back, away from Ceil. Sebastian was staring at her frozen in place, panting. He lowered his hand and covered his wound. Ceil stared at the wound, in awe. "Sebastian…" Ceil whispered.

A giggling Grell pulled his death scythe out of the wall, were it got stuck. "Oh, Sebas-chan, you've got backbone. To think you'd sacrifice an arm to go save that kid… But how poorly you compare, Madam! Hurry up and kill the brat!"

"_Si dues me relinquit, ego deum relinquo. If God has forsaken me, then I shall forsake God, too…" Scarlett went back to singing. _

Madam Red uncovered her eyes and looked at Ceil, seeing a scene of when he was a child. "I loved my sister… I loved him… I loved their… I can't." She said. She grasped her chest. "I can't do it after all. I can't kill him."

Grell looked so disappointed. "You're saying that now? You've sliced so many women to bits! If you don't erase him, he'll erase you!"

Ceil looked at his aunt innocently, unaware of what was going on in his head. "Madam…"

"But… But…" She looked at him, tears in her eyes. She turned to Grell. "This boy is my-!" Instead of meeting the sympathy she desired, she met death.

Grell pressed the death scythe, right into Madam Red's chest. "I'm disappointed in you, Madam Red! I have no interest in you if you're just another woman!" He said tossing the dying madam back and away from him. From her wound all her memories flourished out.

"This is…" Sebastian muttered and looked at grim reaper again.

"Our job as grim reapers is to replay and examine the memories of those on the To-Die list distributed by the Powers that Be. We determine what kind of person they were, what kind of life they lived, whether they should be killed or left alive."

"In other words, you make their life flash before their eyes."

"Ugh, don't call it something so dull!" Grell whined. "This is a grim reaper's true ability: Dramatic Pain. This is the Cinematic Record!"

They flashed into one of the memories. _"Rachel, Angelina, come greet Lord Phantomhive."_

_I hated the red hair I inherited from my father. "Your red hair is very beautiful, An. The color of spider lilies blazing in the fields… Red suits you well." I came to love my red hair. I came to love the color red. I came to love you._

"_An, I have wonderful news!" You… I hated red again. But I couldn't bring myself to hate you. I married a man I met at a soiree. _

"_I wonder if it's a boy or a girl?"_

"_Men are so impatient. There's no way to tell that yet." It all came in a different form from what I'd truly wanted, but still, this time I would…_

"_That runaway carriage just hit someone! Call a doctor!" It's slipping away…_

"_Your husband died instantaneously. And to save your life, we were forced to remove your uterus, along with the child inside. When an internal organ ruptures like that –"_

_Everything is slipping away from me… The people I love… The people I surely would have been able to love… the stain spreads… the stain spreads over everything dying it that hated color red. My sister was able to die with the one she loved. I wish my feelings had been buried in the ground along with her. _

"_A kid would only get in the way. I don't know who the father is, and I can't take customers with a kid in tow." _

_I lost everything. That woman had what I wanted… what I can never have again. And she threw it all away without a second thought. I'll stain her… _

"_Oh, you're that woman from— what are you doing? St-Stop!"_

_I'll stain everything red with my own hands. _

"_Goodness me, you really went to town on her."_

_A blood-red grim reaper smiled at me. A few months later, my missing nephew suddenly came back. _

"_Ciel!"_

_Bringing with him a butler all in black… _

"_So you're safe."_

_I got just one thing back._

"_Thank goodness you're safe, at least… Let me take a good look at your face."_

_The son of the man I adored and my elder sister. This boy came back, so why not him. Why wasn't I the one to marry him? This time I won't let anything be taken from me. I won't give anything up. _

"_I won't give anything up!"_

And with that she was gone from the world with one last tear. "I loved you when you were dyed crimson with your victims' blood, Madam Red." Grell said staring at the corpse in disappointment. Grell took off his tail coat. "I'm disappointed you turned out to be such a trite woman!" He went over to her and took off her coat. "You don't have want it takes to wear red." He slipped the pure red coat onto him. "Your cheap little melodrama ends now." After picking up his death scythe he looked down at her. "Farewell, Madam."

The grim reaper started to walk away. Ceil reached over and closed his aunts eyes. "What are you doing, Sebastian?" Ceil asked in the softest tone he used that whole night. "I told you to put an end to Jack the Ripper. It's not over yet." Grell stopped walking. Ceil turned to Sebastian. "Don't dawdle. Hurry up and kill the other one!"

Sebastian's face was full of shock and then he smirked. "Very good, my lord."

Grell chuckled again. "I was going to be nice and let you go, but f you insist," Grell turned around, death scythe spinning. "I'll send you both to heaven!" He said, swiping the death scythe.

Sebastian ducked down and stared at his opponent. "Heaven?" He questioned. Sebastian disappeared and was behind the butler in an instant. "Heave and I are strangers." He said with a small but devious smirk. He attempted to kick Grell in the face but failed was the grim reaper tilted his head back to avoid it.

Grell pointed the death scythe at Sebastian accusingly. "You just wnet after a lady's face! You're a fiend!" He proclaimed.

Sebastian turned around in ease. "Of course. You see, I am merely one hell of a butler."

"Humph," Grell said. "Do you think a demon can beat a divine being?" He asked.

"An interesting question." Sebastian turned. "However, if my young master tells me to win, I shall win."

"You're quite keen on that puny little brat. I'm jealous. Even demons cease to exist if I reap them with my death scythe. Are you afraid?" Grell asked.

Sebastian pressed his hand against his chest. "Not in the least. I belong to my master body and soul, even down to the last hair on my head. As long as the contract is in effect, I follow his orders. That's the butler aesthetic, you see."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: "His Butler, at the Funeral"

Ceil covered Madam Red with Sebastian's coat, even if it was the dead of the night and the cold of London would get to him fast. He stared at his late aunt and Grell and Sebastian fought. After swinging at Sebastian who elegantly dodged, Grell remarked at the situation. "A demon and a grim reaper." Sebastian swiped at Grell next and it was Grell's turn to dodge. "I suppose meeting of the minds is impossible?" Sebastian followed. "Our feelings for each other are forbidden… It's just like the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet!" The thought made Sebastian sick. "O Sebas-chan, Sebas-chan! Wherefore art thou Sebas-chan?"

Being fed up with the red heads annoying voice and fantasy he attempted to kick him, failing.

They landed both on the roof with grace. "If you'd refuse that appalling name your master gave you and focus on me alone…"

"From the moment my master called me "Sebastian," that word became my new baptism and contract. I've been Sebastian since that day. By yonder moon I swear it." Sebastian stated in a dramatic Shakespearian way.

Grell rested his hand on his hip. "What an insincere man you are, to swear by the inconstant moon. Your eyes are impure eyes which love no one. You are a devil who profanes innocent souls with your unworthy hands and lips." Grell said as they both stared into each other. "Oh, it's so good! You thrill me, Sebastian!" Grell proclaimed squirm around, excitedly. "I feel as if I could bear your children!"

Sebastian's face clearly stated his disgust. He inched away from the grim reaper. "Please stop. That's repellant."

"Oh, you're so cold." Grell said, crouching down ready to attack. He started the chain saw and rushed at the butler. "Beautiful tyrant!" He cried and swiped at the butler, who dodged. "Fiend angelical!" He said, the same situation happened as before. "Dove- feathered raven!" They both went for an attack and both, barely dodged. "Sebas-chan!" The death scythe got stuck in the roof and with his foot, pressed down on the handle and Grell's hand. "Oh, Sebas-chan… Would that morning should never come! Then the two of us could live in love like this forever." Grell said gazing up at the butler. "But our amorous adventure ends now." Grell winked and head butted Sebastian, leaving him bleeding. "We part with a passionate kiss! A thousand times, a million times good night!" He proceeded with hitting Sebastian across his chest, his red blood rushing out. "Now, how me a drastic and dramatic Record!" He watched the records seeing nothing but the servants at the Phantomhive Estate about their daily shenanigans "W-Wait… Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Who are these people?"

Sebastian gasped trying to regain breath as blood trickled down the edge of his lips. "That's been my everyday life for the past year, after all."

"I'm not interested in a domestic Record like this!" Grell whined. "Come on, show me the good parts!"

Sebastian appeared behind him. "I'm afraid I charge admission to view the rest." The butler joked, placing his finger to his lips showing at everything else is a secret.

Grell turned around quickly. "Skinflint!" He screamed and went flying as soon as Sebastian hit him.

Sebastian whipped the blood from his mouth. "Oh, no, my clothes are ruined again." He pressed on the buttons from his tailcoat the buttons coming out of their loops. "This is past mending."

Grell stood up straight. "You're pretty confident, worrying about your clothes at a time like this." Grell said. He prepared his death scythe for another attack. "But I like a man who's careful about his appearance, Sebas-chan."

Sebastian stripped himself of his tailcoat, the white dress shirt underneath was ruined as well. Sebastian closed his eyes. "This is the one technique I didn't want to use…" He said. He opened his red eyes and stared at Grell. "…but there is no help for it."

Grell shifted the death scythe. "So you're finally going to get serious with me, then? Shall we close the curtain on this with the next blow? Say your farewells to this world. Let's be joined in the hereafter, Sebas-chan!" He said as both butler leapt into the air and Sebastian stuck his tail coat into the death scythe, jamming it. Grell looked baffled at what happened. He fell on the roof while Sebastian landed on his feet. "What?"

Sebastian placed his hand on his hip but in a defying way. His face had anger written all over it. "That tailcoat is made of high-quality Yorkshire wool. Wool has one of the highest frictional forces of all cloths. Once it get enmeshed in something, it's very difficult to remove."

"What the fuck?" Grell whined and he tried desperately to get the fabric out.

Sebastian placed his hand on his head like he was devastated. "That coat was supplied to me by the estate, and I didn't want to use it… But you had ruined it already, after all." He got behind Grell, and as the red head reaper looked at him the butler crack his knuckles with a large and please smile on his face. "Now, in a normal fistfight, I feel a certain amount of confidence.

When he started leaning down the reaper started feeling the fear. "W-wait! Please! Not the face!" He cried. Sebastian took his time to beat in Grell's face well. In the middle of his beating he cried out in despair for his face once more. With one last powerful punch Grell started falling off of the roof. "Please stop!" He cried and Ceil saw that he was heading for a collision towards him.

Sebastian swooped down and kicked Grell away from Ceil. "Please excuse me. I misjudged the distance." Sebastian said bowing his head.

"You look awful." Ceil pointed out.

"I had a bit of trouble with him." The butler admitted.

"I'll get you for this…" Grell muttered on the ground.

Sebastian looked at him. "Oh dear. I suppose you can't kill a grim reaper with bare fists." He picked up the death scythe. "But what about with this?" He asked and pulled out the tailcoat. "The grim reaper's sickle, which can cut anything… Shouldn't it be able to cut even you?"

Grell looked up in fear again. "Wh-What are you thinking? N-N-No—" Sebastian stepped on Grell's face to shut him up.

"I don't enjoy being kicked," The butler stated as he added or released pressure on Grell's face. "But doing the kicking feels rather nice."

"That hurts! Sebas-chan, it hurts, it hurts!"

"You master, hideous though he may be, he is still a divine being. Are you prepared to shoulder the heavy crime of killing the divine?"

Ceil didn't look from Madam Red. "Are you trying to make me repeat my order?" He asked.

"Very good, my lord." He said. He started the death scythe and listened to Grell scream. "You scream very nicely. As a reward… I'll kill you with your favorite toy!"

"Please, stop!" Grell begged.

Sebastian smiled, kindly. "No." He stated.

"Don't you want to know who killed his parents?" He asked using whatever he could to stay alive.

The caught Ceil's attention quickly, and luckly as Sebastian brought down Grell's death scythe he was interrupted by another death scythe. They both looked in its direction.

"I apologize for interrupting your conversation." The death scythe folded up to him. "I am William T. Spears, and administrator at the Grim Reaper Staffing Association. I came to take charge of that reaper there." He said pushing his glasses up with the scythe.

Grell looked up happily. "Will! William!" William jumped down. "So you came to save me!" William landed on Grells head, smashing his face down to the pavement.

William opened up his book. "Temp worker Grell Sutcliff, you have violated regulations. Firstly, you killed people not on the To-Die list. Secondly, you used a death scythe for which a permission form was not filed. And finally, you attempted to leak information about the cause of death and identity of the murderer. " Grell was hit by William's death scythe. William got off of Grell. He bowed a bit in front of Sebastian. "I am sorry for all the trouble this wretch has caused." He pulled something out of his pocket with his death scythe. "Oh here's my card." Sebastian calmly took it. "Really, I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to bow my head to a noxious beast like you… This is a disgrace to the profession of grim reaper."

"Then please keep close wath over your staff," Sebastian tossed the card. "so that they don't cause trouble for us noxious beasts. Humans are very susceptible to temptation. When they are place in the hellish bowels of despair, if a spider's thread appears before them that could get them out, they will cling to it without fail. Any human will."

William raised his head. "Aren't you demons that ones who take advantage of that to deceive humans and prey upon them?"

"I won't deny it." Sebastian admitted.

"Though you seem to be a tame dog with a collar; that at least makes you a lesser evil than the unprincipled, rabid dogs. Come, Grell Sutcliff, we're leaving." William grabbed his hair and dragged him by it. "Honestly… We're already shorthanded, and now we won't be able to finish during regular hours today, either. The board is going to scold us again, and we'll have to work more overtime." Sebastian picked up Grell's death scythe and tossed with deadly aim at William's head. He caught it in between his fingers with ease.

William looked back at a smiling Sebastian. "You forgot that."

"Thanks." The reaper replied and let it fall onto its owner. He adjusted his glasses again. "Now please excuse me." He said and disappeared into the darkness.

Sebastian sighed and turned back to Ceil walking to him. "I apologize. I allowed half of Jack the Ripper to escape." He said and stared at Ceil.

With a half dead face he softly replied. "It doesn't matter anymore…"

Sebastian touched his cheek. "You're chilled to the bone. Let's hurry back to the townhouse." With a warm smile, Sebastian added, "I'll make you some hot milk."

"Good idea." Ceil muttered.

Ceil stood up but his knees collapsed. "Young master!" Sebastian cried and jumped up to grasp him, Ceil quickly slapped him away, leaving the butler shocked. "Young master…?"

"Never mind." The boy said quickly. "I'm fine. I can stand up by myself. It's just… I'm a little tired, that's all."

They came back to the townhouse, and as soon as the door opened, Scarlett stood up from the steps of the stairs. She gasped, Sebastian coming into view first before Ceil. Happy she was prepared with towels because of the rain before she scooped Ceil into one of them.

"Young master are you ok?" She asked. Ceil passed her by.

"I want warm milk." He said and went up the stairs alone.

"Ma-" Scarlett was cut off by Sebastian grasping her arm, he shook his head and she closed her mouth.

In an hour Ceil had settled himself into his bed on his own and Scarlett was cleaning Sebastian's wounds in the kitchen. "You know you really don't have to do this." Sebastian said as she put some ointment on one of the large cuts.

"Then should I let you suffer. You're not immortal Sebastian, stop acting like you are." Sebastian chuckled and Scarlett only hit his head.

"So, tell me, Kinsey, why were your files in Madam Red's office." Sebastian asked, staring at her womb. She turned awkward under his gaze. "Don't you think three years of being away from a child too long?" Scarlett again didn't say anything. Sebastian pressed his hand on Scarlett's womb. "So you didn't go through with the surgery, so there must be a child." Scarlett ripped himself from Sebastian.

Sebastian stared at her as she tried to speak. "Nothing happened."

"How tragic." Sebastian said. Scarlett stared at him. He stood and went over to her. "Don't make me ask you again…" He said his eyes glowing. Scarlett stared back at him, making him chuckled. "Fine then. If you feel so strong as to not even allow yourself to fear me." He crossed his arms with his charming smile. "You tell me your secret I'll tell you mine."

That caught Scarlett's attention. She stared at him for a long while with a calculating look. "And since I am not a deceiving being like I believe you are… you go first."

Scarlett was ready to swallow her tongue at how evil his smirk seemed to be. He made a small bow to her. "Devious and deceiving I am indeed." The room started to get a bit darker. "I am a demon that has a contract with the young master."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow. The light in the room returned to normal. "Prove it."

Sebastian smiled pleasantly. "One day. And now, my lady, it's your turn."

Scarlett chuckled. "I was pregnant with a child from the last man I worked for. I went running to where Madam Red worked to get rid of the child. I knew that if I had this child… it would be killed. I didn't have the money for the operation." Sebastian watched waiting for the end. "They came for my son, and not even a minute into the world they took him away. They left me with him and a blood stained dress… and that was it." Scarlett said, suppressing so many things.

Sebastian chuckled. "And Madam Red must have thought you went somewhere else that was cheaper." He stood close to Scarlett and pressed his hand against her womb again watching her cringe. "You have built such a nice strong wall around yourself, and you only have one weak point." Sebastian smiled. "It's cute."

She slapped him hard against his cheek. "Get off of me, stupid butler." She hissed. Sebastian pulled his hand away and smiled at her now with a large red stain on his cheek from the quick swelling. Scarlett scoffed at him.

The next morning Ceil marched down the stairs Sebastian behind him. They both went to the kitchen to find Scarlett there washing the same dish for the third time. She was staring out the window and into space. "Scarlett." The girl jumped the dish slipped and went down for its demise only to have the butler catch it. Both of them were frozen in place. "I need you to go buy a scarlet dress."

"Yes sir…"

Later on that day with a carriage prepared and all of them dressed in the most delicate manner Scarlett presented Ceil with the red dress he wanted. They arrived at the funeral with so many red petals from red flowers. Ceil went in, everyone chattering about his action. Ceil went up to the coffin and jumped up to sit on it, laying the red dress overtop of his aunt. He looked down at her with a soft complexion. "White flowers and plain dresses don't suit you." He muttered to the corpse, like she was still listening, like her love for him was still evident in that cold, soulless body before him. He took the flower off of his dress jacket and placed it near her ear. "What suits you is a passionate red." He withdrew his hand from her peaceful face. "The color of spider lilies blazing in the fields… Aunt An." He laid his head down and nuzzled his nose as if for one last time against hers.

The red peddles they had brought in washed into the church. The air was carrying them inside. Elizabeth noticed the blazing color quickly, her eyes sparkling as the contrasting colors of her eyes and the flowers struck each other. She had the ever terrifying promotion of the girl in white. _London Bridges_ filled her ears even if the song was not playing at all. Not a single soul would have had the ability to utter such words at that time. Even Ceil was getting lost in the essence of his aunts being could hear the song seeing the images of a happy past, with Elizabeth tightly holding his hand, his mother and aunt above him, his father's eyes gazed upon him. But Madam Red was the one who swept him into her arms.

Ceil pulled back and looked at the woman. "Sleep well…" He whispered his wish. "…Madam Red." He whispered as if for the first and final time.

The Church bells rang loudly, marking the end of a chapter. Ceil and Lau were talking after the funeral discussing the business of Jack the Ripper. "You're not going to report to the Queen who Jack the Ripper was?" Lau asked.

"There's no need." Ceil said. "Her wish was that we end the incidents. That objective has been fulfilled."

"And you'll keep right on sinking into the quagmire, won't you?" Lau asked. "Even if you set foot somewhere you can't return from, I know you would never let anyone see you pathetically screaming and crying for help. Not you, the proud dog of the Queen. I'll be careful not to make myself a target for you, my lord." Lau reassured the Earl.

Ceil turned to the foreigner. "Opium dens are starting to become a problem." He informed him. "If you're going to get out, now's the time."

"If I did that, I'd have to think of another business to run." Lau said.

Ceil put on his tall hat. "You could always go back to your home country."

"I haven't exhausted my interest in this country yet." Lau informed Ceil. He went to him placing his hand on his shoulder. "Or in you, my lord." He turned around and took his leave. "I fully expect you'll put on many more interesting shows for me." Lau called back to the boy.

Ceil watched him depart them. He turned and started taking his own leave. "We have somewhere to go. Come." He ordered Sebastian and Scarlett.

They and the undertaker went to the grave of Mary Jane Kelly. "This is…" Sebastian started.

"My final customer from the Jack the Ripper murders." The Undertaker finished.

"Apparently she was an immigrant. They couldn't find anyone to claim her body." Ceil said.

The Undertaker reached out and stroked the earl's cheek. "So our kindhearted earl here hired me to pretty her up and even erected this gravestone for her."

Ceil looked at him then at the grave. "I'm not kindhearted. If I had given her life first priority that night, there would have been plenty of ways to save her. But I instead, I prioritized catching Jack the Ripper. I knew she wouldn't be saved. I knew, and I let her die… my own flesh and blood…"

Leaning down onto the boy, the Undertaker asked. "Are you having regrets?"

"No." Ceil said, calmly. "Jack the Ripper is gone, and Her majesty's anxieties are resolved."

"Victoria, eh? I don't like her. She forces all the misery onto you while she sits back and watches."

"This is my family's lot in life." Ceil dismissed the white haired man. "It's been passed down for generations along with this ring." He said while holding the blue diamond ring to his chin.

The Undertaker removed himself from the boy, "The ring is like a dog collar." He informed Ceil. "It connects you to the Queen by the chains of "fate"."

Ceil gave the Undertaker a push. "I'm the one who chose this!" He cried out and the Undertaker snatched him by his tie, pulling him up.

In a low voice he told the earl. "I pray you're never hung by that collar." He released him and Ceil fell back into Sebastian. "That would be so boring." Placing the white flowers into Ceil's arms he said, "Come by the shop whenever you need something." He said. He turned around and started walking away. "You and your butler are always welcome." He left chuckling. Scarlett looked up at Sebastian with a disturbed expression.

When Ceil had regained his balance he placed the white lilies in front of the gravestone. Sebastian stepped closer to Ceil and laid his coat onto his shoulders. "You are kindhearted." He said, softly.

Ceil looked back. "Don't make me repeat myself! I'm not kind-"

"Yes, you are kindhearted." Sebastian insisted, cutting Ceil off. He leaned down towards him. "If you aren't, perhaps that means you're weak."

Ceil turned to him, his eyes blazing with anger. "Why, you!" He yelled.

"Why didn't you shoot?" He asked. Ceil gasped and flinched back a little. Scarlett caught his shoulder to steady him, to keep him solid in his position. ""I let my own flesh and blood die"? I take a dim view of lies, you know. If you had wanted to shoot her then, you could have. But you wavered, and even when I urged you, you refused to draw your gun. Why? Were you afraid to kill Madam Red yourself? Do you mean to tell me you can kill a stranger, but not your own kin? Because it was your job."

There was a moment of silence. Ceil tilted his head in a fashion of pride that made Scarlett smile and ease her grip on the boy's shoulder. "I thought you would protect me even at the cost of your own life." It was now Sebastian's turn to wince at the words. Ceil turned back to the grave. "That's why I didn't shoot. Our contract demands that you serve me; that you protect me and do not kill me until my goal is achieved." Scarlett looked at Sebastian and at that moment, hearing it from Ceil himself she knew he wasn't lying to her. "I imagine a demon has no "principles" or "loyalty". All you have is aesthetics. And so for the sake of your own aesthetics, you will protect me no matter what. Am I wrong?"

Sebastian tilted his head. "Why did you stop me, then?"

"There was hesitation in her eyes as she moved to kill me. I thought she wouldn't be able to kill me… her own kin. One wrong move costs a person her life. It's just like chess. She hesitated and lost sight of her next move. That's all there is to it." Ceil turned and left Scarlett's hand; he walked past Sebastian on his own. "So I won't hesitate." Clear shock was written in Sebastian's eyes from those words.

Sebastian turned towards Ceil and smiled deviously. "That's what I like to hear. Always skillfully manipulate your chess pieces and survive. Use me, and Madam Red and any pieces within your reach. Even if the bodies of your pawns pile up at the foot of your throne… because if the king falls, this game is over."

"I won't stop moving and I won't regret the steps I've taken. So, this is an order:" Ceil started and turned to his butler. "You are the one man who must not betray me. Don't leave my side. No matter what."

Sebastian extended his hand and brought it back in giving his lord a low bow, on one knee and his hand solemnly pressed against his heart. One hand, holding Ceil's top hat, was behind his back and he gracefully said, "Yes, my lord."

Ceil stared at Sebastian for a moment and looked at the smiling maid who lowered her own head the second he turned his face to her, closing her eyes respectfully. Sebastian who smiling as well thought, _I shall accompany you anywhere you wish me to._ He stood as Ceil turned and started taking his leave, Scarlett starting right after him. _Even if your throne crumbles, your radiant crown rots, and a mountain of bodies piles up… I shall stay bsides your small form as you lie atop of your fallen pawns… until I hear the final call._

Scarlett stared at the men before her and for a moment it felt as if she was walking in darkness, hearing Madam Red's voice. _Don't let him stray from his path._ Scarlett gazed behind her, catching the glimpse of her own red hair. _Protect that child… the child I considered my own. Protect him like he was your own._

Scarlett looked back forward at the color of dusk. _Yes, my lady…_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: His Butler, Merrymaking

On the side of a hill, in what seemed like a gloomy and rainy country side the sound of bad pitched singing was heard. The servants of the Phantomhive family were enjoying their little ride with song. "Resort, resort, we're so happy!" They sang and would repeat over and over.

Finnian looked at the maid across from him. "Isn't this wonderful, Maylene? I'm so moved!" Finnian cried out.

"Yes, yes!" She said, joyously. "I can't believe he's taking us with him to the Queen's health resort!"

"I guess even the young master has his good points!" Brad replied. The two nodded. Brad looked at Scarlett who was sitting at the edge of the carriage. "What's wrong with you?"

She looked at him. "I hate the country…" She muttered.

Brad made a whining sound. "You hate the city and you hate the country, what do you like?"

"My home!" She yelled back at him, half whining back.

Sebastian was wearing a pleasant smile on his face. "They are fortunate people. It appears they are grateful to you my kind young master."

Ceil looked towards there carriage. "I don't want to leave them behind by themselves and come back to find the manor destroyed."

Sebastian nodded. "Indeed." They passed by the sign for the village that read 'Welcome to Houndsworth' that had a crow sitting on top and a spiked down collar hanging from the sign. "This would seem to be the entrance to the village." Sebastian said.

Three of the servants looked out with wonder only to find a dead tree with dog collars hanging from it on chains and dog skulls beneath the tree. Three of the servants screamed out. Scarlett turned to the butler. "Sebastian where are you taking us?" She questioned, shivering in fear herself.

"I forgot to tell you one thing:" Ceil started and Scarlett immediately went quiet. "This is a planned construction site for the resort."

The four servants except for Tanaka gave out a cry, "Young master…" They said. Sebastian looked back at the red head with a smile making her face turn a bright red to match her hair.

They continued on their journey down the foggy road. With a smile Finnian gasped and pointed out. "Hey, I found the first villager!" He said, spotting an old woman with a stroller. "Stop the carriage, Tanaka!" He asked, cheerfully. He jumped out to her, seeing how the stroller was stuck at the side of a lake. "I'll help you out there, Granny!" He said.

"N-No, Finni! If you're not careful, the baby will-!" Maylene cried out before Brad or Scarlett.

Finnian lifted the stroller over his head, leaving the other's shocked. "Why?" He asked. Realizing himself, he gasped and brought the stroller down to the ground with enough force to break it. "I-I'm so sorry!" He said. Maylene and Scarlett gasped and looked into the stroller.

"Is the baby all right?" Scarlett asked. Their expressions changed into horror as they realized that the baby inside, wasn't a baby, it was instead a skeleton of a dog.

"This child was eaten by it." The old lady said. She took the carriage and started walking again, leaving the servants in fear and awe. "The white dog is a good dog…" She began singing.

"Eat…" Bard stammered.

"…en?" Finnian finished.

"The disobedient black dog is a bad dog… Lullaby, the sun sets… Lullaby and good night. If you don't go to sleep the dog will come down here. "

Ceil was looking back at the scene. "Apparently there are many villagers, missing or violently killed." Ceil informed the butler looking back forward as the old lady was still singing. Part of my job is to find the cause and dispose of it."

"He'll gobble your flesh down to the bone…" and with that her words drifted off into the distance.

They finally got into the sight of the village with its sparkling blue water they all gasped. "It's starting to look like a resort!" Brad said.

They started going through the village to their destination. They passed by one villager that was training his dog. "Sit." He said and the dog obeyed. "Lay down." Again the dog obeyed. "Oh, good boy!" The dog got up and went straight into the arms of his owner in an embrace. "Good boy!" the owner encouraged.

"Wow, I'd like him to pet me!" Maylene said.

Scarlett smiled. "Me too." She said. She looked at Sebastian who was throwing a strong glare at her.

"He warps its will with rewards and punishments and forces obedience." He looked back forward. "A fine sight!" He said, clear sarcasm in his voice. "But the dog is not blameless. It fawns on humans, and welcomes the chain around its neck. Really it's quiet hard to understand." Ceil looked at the butler skeptically as Scarlett jumped from her carriage to theirs.

Ceil almost rolled his eyes. "If you have something to say, just say it." Scarlett sat on the edge of their carriage looking at the butler with suspicion.

"Thank you, my lord. I love cats, but I'm not fond of dogs. Or rather… to be frank, I hate them." Scarlett pressed her lips together to keep laughter suppressed.

Ceil stared at Sebastian for a moment. "Woof," He said, making Scarlett release her giggle. They got to the mansion finally and a single maid came out to help them.

"Earl Phantomhive, I presume?" She asked Sebastian softly.

"Yes." He replied and watched the maid bow down with grace and gentility.

"Welcome to Barrymore Castle. My master awaits your arrival."

Something snapped inside Scarlett, in a moment she was on her feet and standing at the entrance of the carriage looking down at the maid daring her to come near the master. Sebastian also looked at her suspiciously.

"She's beautiful…" Maylene said and Finnian seemed to be in love at first sight with his large eyes sparkling at the image of the young girl.

Scarlett practically allowed no space for the timid maid to pass and only allowed Sebastian to come and lower the young master to the ground. Sebastian and Scarlett buzzed around Ceil, each for their own reasons. For Sebastian it was to protect him while for Scarlett it was more of an animal instinct to show that Ceil was her master, no one else's. They were brought inside to a lounging room. Ceil looked around and took a note of all the dead animals hanging in the room as trophies.

They were all distracted by the maid's scream. They all looked to find her being whipped by a bearded man, with stripped trousers. "What's with this little Chihuahua?" He barked at the girl. "I was told to welcome the Queen's envoy!" For a moment the three were taken back with the Chihuahua comment. "Angela, are you not even capable of something as simple as that?" The veins were almost lucid on his head.

After seeing how helpless she was Ceil gave out a one word order. "Sebastian." He said loud and clear.

Before the man could bring his hand back down Sebastian had snatched his wrist firmly. "What are you doing, you Doberman?" He shouted again. "Are you trying to bite back at me? Let me go, you!" He started struggling against Sebastian's hold, uselessly.

"I am the one who ordered him." Ceil said, confidence in his stance and tone.

"What?"

He shifted his seat back and with a prideful smile he said, "I'm assuming the letter was delivered." He sat down and made himself very comfortable. "I am Ceil Phantomhive." He said and placed his walking stick onto the table, crossing his legs.

Sebastian released the crazed man from his grasp and stepped back. The man gripped his wrist. "Are you saying this little Toy Poodle is the Queen's envoy?"

"Do you disprove of smaller breeds, Lord Henry?"

Outside the servants were bringing their things and the master's in. Finnian on the other hand was somewhere off in a field of flowers with a certain angelic looking, Angela. Brad crushed his little day dream, half annoyed with the blushing and dazed face of the gardener. "Stop spacing out, Finni!" Brad shouted. "Pull yourself together and start carrying! This instant!"

Inside, Lord Henry was looking over the papers and Angela was prepared to serve tea. Angela's hands were way too shaky after the beating she had just received. Scarlett could see at any moment the cups could fall or the tea could spill. She shook her head and held her hands steady. "It's ok, I'll do it." She said gently.

Angela looked at her, an innocent gaze and a nod allowed her to back away from the tea set before her. Scarlett took the cup and started pouring the tea and almost jumped as Lord Henry slammed the papers onto the desk and folded up his arms. "This isn't even worth discussing. No matter what you propose. I am not willing to sell."

"State your reason." Ceil demanded.

"The curse." Lord Henry said with a grave expression.

"The curse?"

"In this village, where man and dog have lived together since antiquity, there is a curse against those who would try to get their paws on it; a fearsome hex. Even if it were the Queen herself, that would not change." He stood and placed his hand on his chest. "A terrible fate will befall anyone who tries to go against the Barrymore family in this village."

"Oh? How interesting." Ceil said, half sarcastic.

"What?" Lord Henry said lowly, his voice practically rumbling around the room.

Ceil leaned back and folded his hands together. "In that case, I shall remain here as long as it take to witness this terrible fate firsthand." At the sight of Henry Barrymore's anger Sebastian and Scarlett looked at each other with the same happy expression both at Ceil's development as a person.

"So, you're the only maid in this entire household?" Brad asked.

"That's amazing! I truly respect you, Miss Angela!" Maylene said.

"I am nothing so grand. I do nothing but make mistakes." Angela whispered.

"If there is anything we can help you with, please let us know." Brad told her kindly. "Since we're all servants, let's get along. Right, Finni?"

"Yeah! Of course!" Finnian said looking from Angela to Brad.

"How kind you all are." She whispered and jumped up hearing the bell to the bedroom ring. "Pardon me," she said and took a step, "the master is calling for me, so I will have to take my leave." She turned around from the group and rushed out, leaving behind Finnian with a blush on his face.

Even in the afternoon he was smiling and blushing. "She called us kind!" He reminisced as he took a patrol around the grounds. He jumped into alert at the sound of a rock falling from something. He looked confused and swore he saw something, a man most likely. He stared waiting to see another sign of someone.

"Hey, Finni!" Brad shouted from a window, "What are you doing?" He asked.

Finnian looked towards that way. "Sorry!" He said and raced towards Brad leaving the mystery of the noise behind.

Maylene and Scarlett were passing in the halls towards their rooms. They paused and peered into a room where they say Angela and Henry in a room. Angela was sitting exposing her legs and Henry was on his knees crying out her name. "Angela! On, Angela!" With care he took her legs into his hands but not moving them from their position. He rested his face against the skin of the maid. "The Queen wants my village." He started rubbing his face against her legs. "You understand, right? I'll protect this village! Angela, my angel. My angel…"

Both maids outside did a double take. "The maid has seen the unwanted truth!" Maylene said. Scarlett turned her and both rushed down the hall.

Angela knocked on the door to Ceil's room a few moments later. "Enter." Ceil said.

She opened the maid slowly and gently with a great deal of care and her soft and sad expression was perfectly set up as well. "I am sorry to disturb you so late at night."

"The young master was just preparing to sleep." Sebastian said as Angela entered.

"I have a request." Angela addressed Ceil with fear and hesitation. "Pleas withdraw from this village. You must not stay here!"

Without looking up from his book, Ceil asked, "Why?"

"That is…" A howl interrupted Angela, and her face changed from sorrow to unadulterated horror. "No! It's come! The Devil Dog has…" She started shaking, her arms braced up.

"Devil Dog?" Ceil questioned. Angela gave out a scream and both Sebastian and Ceil turned to the window and witnessed the silhouette of a dog against the curtains. "Sebastian!" Ceil cried out. Sebastian ran to the curtain and opened them but saw nothing there. Ceil went towards the window. "What was that?" He asked.

"Young Master, look." Sebastian pointed to the ground. A dog like shape ran down the road leaving behind a glowing trail. The village was in a sudden uproar, everyone had woken up. Ceil, Sebastian and Angela had gone outside. Ceil went towards the glowing foot prints and picked up some with his fingers examining the substance.

The servants came rushing outside next. "Young master!" Scarlett shouted with worry that suddenly turned to anger upon seeing Angela present.

"Miss Angela!"

"Just what is all the ruckus about?" Brad asked hugging his pillow.

"The Devil Dog appeared." Angela explained. "The one that will bring disaster to the village. Those who have disobeyed their master will be punished by the Devil Dog. That is one of the laws of this village."

"Miss Angela," A sudden voice of a villager came, "please inform Lord Barrymore than Lord Devil Dog has appeared." The villagers came with torches and sickles.

Angela rushed forward. "Who was punished?" She asked with compassion.

The red maid stepped forward, next to Sebastian and behind Ceil with a downcast look. After everyone got dressed and ready they all followed the maid and civilians to where the punished person was. The young man from when they first arrived was bitten to the death and found in a gory scene.

No one dared to approach the dead man except Ceil who went over to examine the corps. "How cruel…" Brad said.

Ceil pulled away a bit. "I see…" He muttered softly.

"Don't touch him!" A voice barked. Lord Henry came towards them. "So the bad dog was James?" He asked.

"Yes. He broke the rule of having five dogs per person." A villager explained. "It seems he was keeping a sixth."

Lord Henry lowered his head. "I see." He said, regrettably. "Then, I suppose there was no helping it."

"No helping it? What?" Brad yelled outraged.

"This village has rules set down by myself. Those who break the rules will be punished by the Devil Dog that serves the Barrymore family!"

The villagers began singing. "As the cat meows, the small, white-haired dog is a good dog. The black dog is a bad, disobedient dog." They lift James onto a cot and started carrying him away. "As the cat meows, the day falls." The villagers began to fallow James.

"I was sure that it would be an outsider who fell prey," Lord Henry said. "But it seems you were spared." He started following the villagers with Angela next to him.

"Young master…" Sebastian said as Ceil looked towards Lord Henry glaring.

The next day the servants were all fathered around a box, attempting to relax. "It turned out to be a terrible trip, huh?" Brad muttered.

"Indeed." Maylene said.

"What is wrong?" Sebastian asked walking towards them. "You were all so lively on the way here." He said once he caught their attention.

"'Cause, you know…" Brad muttered.

"Have you forgotten?" Sebastian asked. The butler raised a picnic basket and bathing suit. "We have come to a resort." The spirits of the servants raised immediately.

In a short time span Brad and Finni were in the water. "Whadda ya know?" Brad said, having fun. "It's pleasant after all! The water is warm too!"

"Maylene come in too!" Finni cried out.

The maid only poked her head out. "N-No, I'm too embarrassed!" She said.

"You don't get a chance like this often!" Brad told her. "It's fine, so hurry up!" Brad stopped playing around with Finni when he saw Maylene come out of the changing booth.

Maylene did a twirl. "It's too embrassing after all." She said and sat down.

"You look cool, Maylene!" Finni said, as the guys went over to the maid.

"You'd probably look even better if you took your glasses off!" Brad said going towards her.

Maylene jumped back. "N-No, I can't!" She ran into the water and started splashing Brad with the water.

On the beach, Ceil was reading his book and a few feet away, Sebastian was standing there like a perfect statue. "Are you not going to swim, young master?" Sebastian asked. The boy ignored him. "I see. Of course, you are-"

"If you're still able to swim here in this season it may et have some merit as a resort." Ceil interrupted his butler.

"Are you truly thinking of making this place a resort?"

"Of course."

"What of the Devil Dog?"

Ceil scoffed a bit. "You've noticed as well, right? The truth behind that "Devil Dog"?" Ceil looked from his book to Sebastian. "Lend me your ear a moment."

In the ocean Finni looked towards the shore, "Miss Angela!" He waved towards the white haired maid, who was sitting with Takana and Scarlett.

Sebastian pulled back a bit after Ceil was finished. "Yes, my Lord." He replied to Ceil. "Immediately."

"You are quiet eager." Ceil said going back to his book. "Don't you hate dogs?"

"Yes, I do. That is why I want to get this over with as quickly as possible…" Sebastian started to walk away. "Before it degenerates into the worse possible situation." He muttered.

When Scarlett saw Sebastian leaving Ceil she went over with some food. "Young master?" He turned his head to her. "Would you like some?" She asked.

Ceil shook his head. "Not right now, Scarlett."

Everyone's attention was caught by the villagers yelling, "The bad dog has been caught! It's James's dog! It's got to be punished! The punishment's going to begin now!" They all put their things down and went towards the other villagers, up to where the dog was going to be punished, the church bells rang with a lot of force.

James dog was chain up by the collar. He was growling at the others and vicious were ready to attack at any moment. "The bad dog is chwing something." A villager pointed out. "Make it spit it out!" A man went towards the dog with a stick and reached to get the green looking object in its mouth out. The villager started tugging at it. "Let it go, you bad dog!" He started to hit the dog on the head.

"What a stubborn dog. It's a terrible dog." Lord Henry commented. "Begin!" He ordered. They released the other dogs on James's dog. Watching this caused Finni to snap.

"This is too much!" He shouted and went to stop the other dogs. He grabbed a pole from the ground and rushed forward swinging the pole at the dogs. "Stop it!" Finni cried.

One of the old ladies cried out and fainted. "Finni!" The servants cried and the Phantomhive household ran to him. Scarlett grasped both his shoulder and knelt next to him, but before she could check him they noticed the villagers ready to attack them.

"You got in the way." They said, gravely. "In the way of righteous punishment! More bad dogs! They're bad dogs! Bad dogs! Punishment for the bad dogs! Punishment for the bad dogs!"

Ceil was chained up and the servants were tied up against a pole. "Hmph. You're getting what you deserve, Maltese." Lord Henry said.

"Master, I'm pleading with you," Angela began, "Please forgive them!"

"That's true. This Pomeranian is, even if only temporarily on of those serving Her Majesty. Depending on what he has to say, I may be able to let him go. Tell Her Majesty to withdraw and never consider this village again."

Ceil smirked. "You'd go that far in order to protect your miniature kingdom?" He asked. "It seems like the expression "furious charge" was invented for you."

Lord Henry glared. "Then, know what happens to those who disobey me! Do it!" He ordered and the dogs were released. They leapt to go assault Ceil.

Scarlett wiggled getting the cloth that was placed over her mouth off. "Young master!" She cried. "Sebastian, help!" As if on cue Sebastian knocked the dogs away one by one.

"You're late." Ceil said.

"Please forgive me, my Lord." Ceil scoffed at him.

"Are you trying to get in my way, you Garm?" Lord Henry asked. "What are you doing? Go and bite them both to death!" He said to the dogs. The dogs prepared themselves for the attack.

"What a loud and barbaric sound they make. This is why I hate dogs." Sebastian said and with one deadly glance from Sebastian and the dog coward back with their tails under them.

"W-What?"

"The farce ends here, Barrymore." Ceil said taking him by surprise. "Listen, you village mongrels! There is no such thing as a Devil Dog! The only thing here is an old man who was bitten by the delusion of authority."

Sebastian started making his way over the dog that had been beaten down. "Wh-What proof do you have?" Lord Henry barked as the butler knelt to the dog.

"This." Sebastian said. "It was in the basement of the mansion." He said removing the skull of a dog from the dog's mouth."The shape of the teeth match the marks on James." The villagers seemed amazed. "Bear witness." He said and pointed to the sky where the mark of the Devil Dog was shown high in the clouds. "This is the real truth behind the "Devil Dog". The shadow of the Devil Dog was just a simple projection." Sebastian explained revealing the projector. "Nothing more than child's play. The shining thing in the night was pure phosphorus. He just poured the powder on an ordinary dog."

"The Devil Dog was an illusion choreographed by one person. And that person was you, Henry Barrymore!"

"Wh-Where's the proof that I did that?" He asked, losing the ground beneath his feet slowly.

Ceil smirked, ready to play checkmate. Sebastian went over to the dog that was chained and wounded by the other dogs, again he knelt down but this time with more respect.

"Please hand it over." He asked softly. "Your job is done now." He took the cloth in the dog's mouth that was barely hanging onto life at that point. He closed his eyes, gone. "It is a high-quality fabric. Why do you suppose this dog refused to let go of it until the end? The reason is this."

When Sebastian revealed the cloth Barrymore jumped. "Th-that's…"

"Correct. While trying to protect James, it bit your leg and this tore off. It is a piece of your trousers."

Barrymore attempted to make a run for it but the villagers stood as a blockade for his path. They circled him angry, the burning betrayal in their faces as they asked him questions. "Give it up!" Ceil shouted. "You're finished!" When the villagers lifted his pants and say the dog bite they carried him off.

Sebastian released everyone from their bounds. They celebrated for a moment and then Finni headed to Jame's dog. He petted the dog softly. "You're incredible." He whispered. "Trying to protect your master until the end…" He realized it died and pulled the dog into an embrace. "You tried so hard! So hard!" He whispered breaking out into tears.

Sebastian watched with a sour face. "This is why I hate dogs." He whispered.

They all headed back to the mansion. The night was dark and foggy and rainy nothing that could be enjoyed. The rooms were filled with warm fires and food. Everyone filled and the night mellow as it should be. But was the hours ticked, Ceil found himself looking out the window of his room. "With that, the case is at an end." He said softly. "We'll leave the village as soon as the rain lets up." He told Sebastian who was cleaning Ceil's clothes.

Sebastian nodded. "Yes." He said, going back to his job.

In the hall Finnian found Angela standing beside the window. He whispered her name but she didn't hear or perhaps she refused to listen. The lightening crackled in the sky and then the thunder rolled in the clouds.

The clock continued to tick and it and the thunder were disturbed by a scream of Maylene from the dungeon down bellow. The other servants went running down to aid her. "What is it, Maylene?" Brad asked.

The maid pointed into Barrymore's cell and they were all shocked to see the blood and the huge hole that exited from the cell. The servants stared in utter awe. The lord of the mansion had been killed by the Devil Dog…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: His Butler, Trained.

The scene had still not sunk in to any of the servants staring the abnormal gap in the wall and the blood stained floor. "Hey, this is…" Brad started in shock.

Ceil and Sebastian rushed in after them but surprising only Ceil seemed at awe about the missing Lord Barrymore. Scarlett turned to them. Could his cries that the Devil Dog would come for him be true? Could there even really be a Devil Dog?

Angela came out from behind Sebastian. "Master Barrymore!" She whispered.

There was a thunderous knock on the door and when they all went to answer it they were the awe faded to horror at the realization of what happened. The villager fell right into the mansion, soaking went. "Lord… Lord… Devil Dog." He told them.

"Devil Dog?" they all questioned. They rushed to the site where they held the punishments. They found the villagers all chanting their lullaby, as if praying for forgiveness. They looked beyond the villagers and saw Lord Barrymore, with a single hand missing and his head a bloody mess against the brick wall.

Sebastian went to inspect the body. What he found was not pleasant at all. His whole arm had been bitten off. Most of the servants were too far away to see but out of the shock Angela fainted. "Miss Angela!" Finnian shouted and picked her up. Everyone turned to him and helped.

In shock, they headed back to the mansion to collect their thoughts and find a strategy. ""With that, the case is at an end." Having declared such a thing, this is rather unfortunate is it not, Young Master?" Sebastian asked mockingly. After dragging Sebastian all the way here, seeing his young master utterly fail at solving the mystery of the Devil Dog and also fail to ensure that his prisoner remained alive was entertaining. How could he not be entertained? Sebastian wanted to laugh, how simple all of this was to him, but he was a demon, a demon watching mortals struggle. While his mind had written and solved all the paths, their minds couldn't even comprehend half of the paths.

This arrogance from Sebastian irritated Ceil. "Shut up." Ceil replied calmly. Despite all of this, the mangled body, the insane villagers and the horrendous notion of a fairy tale being real Ceil managed to keep his cool. Anyone else his age would not have been able to handle the stress of the situation, hell most people beyond his age wouldn't be able to handle the stress either. "What about Miss Angela?" Ceil asked the others.

"We've put her to bed for the time being." Maylene answered. "It's no wonder she's tired out. It's so heart wrenching its unbearable."

Ceil seemed in deep thought. "This village completely isolated itself from the rest of society, fearing the curse of the Devil Dog." Ceil finally opened his eyes. "The existence of the Devil Dog was supposed to have been a farce Lord Henry created in order to rule the village."

"However, that same Lord Henry has now… Those bite marks… Doesn't it seems as if they really are the Devil Dog's work, just like the villagers say?" Brad asked.

"Maybe the Devil Dog was angered by Lord Henry doing all those bad deeds in its name." Maylene suggested.

"Well, it seems certain that this was not the work of humans." Sebastian said.

"What do you mean by that?" Brad asked.

As it approached time for bed, Ceil stared down at Sebastian who was buttoning up his night shirt. His eyes were gleaming with curiosity and confusion. "What is troubling you?" Sebastian asked, even if he knew the answer to the question.

"Your little revelation earlier. If it was not the work of a human, I hope we won't have another red haired Reaper coming out of the woodwork." Ceil said, disapproving of the thought.

Sebastian looked up at him, slyly, his ruby eyes meeting Ceil's sapphire one and the strange purple one. "I'm really impressed by your capacity for learning." He said. "However, there is no need to worry." Sebastian began putting Ceil's clothes away. "Maylene's deduction wasn't all that far off. The one who was targeted was Lord Henry. It is unlikely that anyone else will fall victim."

"Even so," Ceil started, "I cannot leave things like this."

"Is this your beautiful loyalty to the Queen?"

"No. Not just that. Normally, there wouldn't be much of interest here, however, seeing you teased by a dog certainly has some merit." Ceil said, crossing his arms smiling cruelly.

Sebastian closed the closet doors. "You really have learned, have you not?" He asked, with the same seductive tone. Scarlett started moving from being beside the door. _Forgive me… he's starting to become a demon. More appropriate you could say he is an imp or a goblin. But an imp is much more fitting._ She thought and went down into the darkness of the halls.

Somewhere else in the darkness Finnian was wondering in the halls. "I wonder if Miss Angela is alright." He heard a loud creaking noise. "A-A-A ghost?" He thought out loud beginning to freak out. He heard screaming and became petrified by fear and began to scream as well. He didn't even have time to notice the red head with glasses running up to him and embracing him, screaming and shaking in fear herself. After a moment their screams were silenced. "Maylene?!" Finnian shouted.

"Finni, did you hear that?" She asked trembling uncontrollably.

He nodded, "Y-Yes. Was it…?"

"M-Maybe the late Lord Henry has returned…" Maylene's statement caused Finnian to go into another round of crying and being upset. He did not want there to be a ghost. Maylene on the other hand was ecstatic! That was such a good thing for her, it could be like a real murder mystery and the ghost could lead them to the killer. Or at least, that what was going through her head.

When Finnian realized that she was too excited over something like this, he stopped his screaming. "Maylene?" He whispered.

"I love scary stories!" She admitted proudly, "I'm trembling with excitement!" and indeed she was. She turned and latched herself on Finnian's scrawny arm. "Let's go, Finni!"

Finnian took a step back, and tried to pull away from her still scared to death. "W-What?!" He said, wanting to reject the idea. But in the end he had no choice. He took the candle and started heading towards the sound of the creaking and the howling breeze.

"Oh, it's all just too horribly frightening!" Maylene cheered. Finnian had a disturbed look on his face. He was too frightened and worried about what was waiting around the corner. When they turned the corner they only found a room with the door just barely open to let a little light through. What they saw inside that door was mind blowing. The sweet, angelic Angela was on the verge of having sex with another man. It upset Finnian so much that he stormed out and ran into the wood with no regard to anything, his chest was hurting too badly for that.

It was a very normal pain that most experience when their heart is broken. Poor Finnian had experienced too much in this village. He had a crush, watched something that was way too painful, and now got his heart crushed. It would keep him up for the whole night. In the morning when the servants stepped into the room everyone seemed refreshed and coping well with what happened the other night, except for Finnian, who had deep bags under his eyes. They all sat down at the table. Before Finnian could sit down Angela came into the room with some tea. Scarlet only dashed a harsh graze onto her.

Brad was trying to be courteous by asking, "Oh, are you sure you should be out of bed?"

"Yes." She answered, "I apologize for causing trouble." She set the tray of tea down onto the table. "And when my master always told me not to break courtesy in front of guests…" Scarlet stood up from the table, she didn't leave though. Scarlet was simply suppressing her red head temper from getting out of control. "Oh, Finni, you look pale…" She whispered.

Finnian jumped and ducked away when he saw her hand try to touch him. He pressed himself again the wall. "Um, I'm, uh, I'm sick!" He tried to explain. Anyone could call the bluff by the nervous tone and actions. "If you touch me, you'll catch my… germs! Right, germs! I'm sorry!" He shouted running off again, getting upset from yesterday all over again.

Brad looked confused, not getting it. "He sure doesn't seem sick." Scarlet smacked him upside the head.

"Oi! What was that for?" He asked.

Scarlet smiled. "For being silly. Maylene, go get him in a little bit. Ceil is going to want to relax today and we are probably going to need to be ready." She said sure that Sebastian was already in the kitchen making Ceil some elaborate breakfast. She rolled up her sleeves, trying to seem positive. "Time to work."

Sure enough within the hour, Sebastian, Brad, Tanaka and Scarlet stood at the long table as Sebastian served him tea, and with, "Today's tea features cabinet pudding made with local blackberries." Showing off Sebastian's fine culinary skills while making the rest of the servants look incapable, hell, they were incapable.

"You're certainly carefree." Ceil remarked in a sharp-tongued tone.

Sebastian smiled pleasantly at the boy before him. "There's no need to rush." He explained calmly.

The doors crashed open and Maylene and Finni rushed inside. "Sebastian!" Maylene cried.

"What is it? You're making a fuss." Sebastian said, his pleasant smiling dropping to a disapproving frown.

Maylene and Finni stopped across from Sebastian at the table. "We can't find Angela anywhere!" Finnian explained.

Scarlet sighed, thinking it was something worse. "Don't worry." She said dismissively.

"Yeah." Brad added, "She said there were some medicinal herbs growing by the fen."

"She'll be right back after she gets them." Scarlet said shrugging.

Finni looked upset. "She went to the fen all by herself?" He asked, not liking the sound of that.

Maylene looked angry and leaned in towards Brad and Scarlet. "When there might really be a Devil Dog lurking about?"

Brad and Scarlet both made the realization about why it was dangerous to have let her gone. "Why would she be picking herbs at a time like this?" Finnian thought aloud.

"Oh, well, it looked like she was worried about how pale you were." Brad explained.

It shocked poor Finnian. "She did it for me…?" A burst of courage and bravery rushed through him and he spun around and sprinted off in order to go search for her. Brad urged the others to go as well. So all of the Phantomhive servants could be searching for that one girl, but Sebastian refused.

Ceil finished his breakfast and looked at the demon, cunningly, now that they were all alone. "Well? What color is your blood?" He asked, referring to Brad's insulting remark about Sebastian not being a red-blooded man. He smiled, "It looks as though we've developed a need to rush." Sebastian sighed, knowing what that meant. "Put on a first-rate show for me, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked right at Ceil, "Yes, my Lord." He said dotingly before vanishing off to join the other servants.

Everyone was at the fen screaming Angela's name but with no response. It seemed bleak, perhaps she had gotten lost or perhaps there really was a Devil Dog and he had hurt her. As they continued their fevered search, Maylene screamed gathering their attention. "What's wrong?" Brad asked until he saw it. Scarlet needed to cover up her mouth to keep herself from throwing up. It was a graveyard of something… Hands and legs stuck out of the ground like they were daisies in a warm May day. She was horrified by the sight. It couldn't possibly be normal. Whatever it was it was sickening to the person saw it. The arms and legs looked they had lost a lot of blood and were way into decaying.

"What is this?!" Brad shouted in horror.

Maylene squealed. "Another thrilling scene the very next morning!"

They noticed a fresh hand, unlike the others, and something glistened in the little light that was shining down. It was a ring. Not just any ring, it had a symbol on it. "Say, isn't that ring…" Finnian started.

"Oh my god, Lord Barrymore's missing arm!" Scarlet said in shock. They all jumped when they heard howling and rushed to get out of sight. All five servants jumped behind a large rock and peeked out to see what was coming towards them.

A young man with white hair walked to the pile of dirt with Lord Henry's arm on it. In the light it was revealed that he was nude, he wasn't even wearing socks. He sniffed the hand of the corpse and moved it to the other side. "That arm… It wasn't the Devil Dog who killed Lord Henry after all. So it was human? Has he got some sort of gruge against Lord Henry?" Brad questioned.

Maylene jumped as she made an assumption. "Could Angela have asked him to do it?" She thought back to the night of when Henry was rubbing and kissing Angela's leg.

"Huh? Why would Angela do that?" Scarlet asked, now she was confused. She knew Angela could be many things, an accomplice in murder… she couldn't imagine a woman having the guts to do that.

Finnian exploded. "That's right!" He said taking everyone by surprise. "Angela has nothing to do with it! You shouldn't suspect people!" Everyone hushed him since he was shouting. Finnian realized it and covered his mouth with his hands but it was too late the man turned his head towards them. He sniffed the air and licked his lips only to make Finnian realize that it was the same man that was in Angela's bedroom the last night.

They didn't get the time to react as a stampede of people rushed to their location. What was strange was that they were dressed in bathing suits. "What are you guys doing here?" Brad asked shocked by the sight of these wacky villagers.

"We're all going to stand under the water fall to ease the Devil Dog's wrath." The village in the front said.

An old granny riding on the back of a strong young man said, "The great Devil Dog's voice echoed in the air last night!"

"He howled all night long." The front man said.

Finnian realized that it was him crying and that reminded him of the man. He turned around but the white haired man was nowhere to be seen. The others caught on and ran after Finnian. They went all the way to what seemed like ruins of an old home but they all stopped dead in their tracks when they heard howling. Suddenly out of the cool fog they saw a pair of large red eyes and to their surprise there was standing a dog larger than could be believable. It towered over all of them and its hairs were standing up, on edge, ready to attack. It opened its mouth a bit and flames lit up and it red eyes began to shine.

They couldn't move when the Devil Dog started running at them. Finni noticed that there was a white apron on its claw and Finni identified it as Angela's. The thought of her being killed by the beast infuriated him and he went off to counterattack the beast. Finnian grabbed onto its leg but the Devil Dog was much stronger. It lifted Finnian up and swung him around trying to knock him off. "Oh hell!" Brad shouted. "Let me borrow that thing!" He said to Tanaka before snatching away the gun from his hand. He aimed it, all his training from the American Army coming to use once more to save a friend's life. When he pressed the trigger though, something else came out, confetti. "Why did you bring a party favor?!" Brad asked, freaking out.

The Devil Dog managed to knock Finnian off and before the blonde boy could recover and flee the scene the Devil Dog came down onto him with his mighty paw. "Finni!" Scarlet screamed. Finnian braced himself for death, but it did not come, something else interfered to stop the hound before them. Finni opened his eyes and saw that Sebastian was there holding the paw up with merely his hand.

"Dear me, you're quite good at "shake hand"." He said trying to make a joke out of how comfortable he was with the dog.

"Sebastian." Finnian whispered in a thankful tone.

The demon glared at the beast and smiled wickedly. "Though you are a bit heavy." He remarked, he moved his hand up and the dog was tossed back like he was a toy poodle.

"Come, this is no time to be romping around together!" Ceil said standing a few feet away.

"Young master!" The servants exclaimed shocked.

Finnian stood and Sebastian spoke, "Of course not. I shall take care of everything at once." He said. Scarlet rushed off and hugged Finnian.

"Thank god, you're ok." She said.

The beast stood again and sniffed the air; suddenly its eyes stopped glowing. "Smells irresistible, doesn't it?" Sebastian asked. "This is what you want, am I right?" He asked lifting up a box of dog treats. "It's what dogs make a beeline for: Inukko, the treat you want every day."

Scarlet looked pissed and tightened her hold around Finnian. "Inukko?" Maylene and Brad questioned. The Devil Dog jumped into the air and tried to jump onto Sebastian with a howl.

Sebastian didn't react much. "Sebastian!" Maylene and Scarlet shouted.

"The best way to tame a dog is to bend its will and force obedience… in other words, reward and punishment." His eyes were glowing demonically. "First, reward!" He jumped and greeted the dog with a soft nibble to the side of the nose. It was enough to get the dog to stop and look delighted.

"What the hell is he doing?" Scarlet questioned as all the others looked just as dumbfounded as her.

Sebastian leapt into the air. "And then…" The dog looked up at him confused as to why he had stopped. "Punishment!" He kicked the poor thing to the side, sending it flying. The insane cycle kept going.

"This is even more of a show than I imagined." Ciel said, not amused.

"Finally… Hugs!" Sebastian embraced the beast and lifted high into the air and then with great force fell back down the Devil Dog creating a large hole in the earth. The servants rushed off to see what had happened. They all stood over the pit thinking that there was no way anyone could have survived something that had. But… Ceil came and placed his hands onto his hips looking mad.

"What are you dawdling for? Get back here this instant!" He shouted down.

"Very good, my Lord." Sebastian's voice replied and the earth started to tremble.

"Everyone get out of the way." Scarlet shout and grab Ceil's hand rushing out as a geyser like jet of water shot up into the sky.

After making distance between them and the water, they turned around to watch. "Hey, is this a hot spring?" Brad asked. Everyone was confused about what had just occurred within a movement.

"What a resort needs is a tourist attraction to be its centerpiece." Sebastian voice said from the water. Everyone jumped at the sound and took a step forward. "A way to luxuriate in abundant hot water, and soothe the fatigue of everyday life." he rose from the water the devil dog in his arms, but he was no longer in the form of a white dog. Now the dog was in the form of a young man with white hair. "That's what we have here: a hot spring." The servants called out his name in happiness. Sebastian jumped off the water with the naked man in his arms. "A Phantomhive butler who can't strike a hot spring or two is not worth his salt."

Scarlet felt her eye twitch a little bit at that. "Forgive our lack of superhuman strength." Scarlet and Maylene jumped when the naked man started licking Sebastian's face. While Maylene was trying to cover up her nose bleed, Scarlet was trying to stifle her giggles.

Angela rushed to the scene. "Pluto!" She shouted confusing everyone watching. The human dog jumped off of Sebastian and rushed to the white maid. He began to lick her face and with light giggles and gentle pats she told him, "Good boy. Good boy." She had the warmest and kindest smile on her face. The water had settled and the pool of hot spring water was starting to rise and the sun was starting to set. Before them was the most tranquil scene, but still. Many questions needed answering. "I found him last month." Angela explained. "I love dogs, and he was so adorable I just had to feed him. He has a bad habit of turning human when he gets too excited, but…"

Brad jumped, "Don't just brush it off as a habit!" He shouted at the maid.

"And so you kept him without telling anyone?" Sebastian inferred.

"Yes. Lord Barrymore was using the legend of the demon hound, but in truth he feared the hound more than anyone. When I thought of what might happen to him if my lord found him… I see I was too indulgent. I never thought the little fellow would hurt Lord Barrymore…" Pluto nuzzled into her lap. "Please! Would you be kind enough to keep him at your estate, my lord?" She questioned. Everyone turned their gaze to Ceil. Sebastian was horrified. Scarlet smiled liking Pluto a little bit. "At Sebastian's side; perhaps even Pluto could become a good, faithful dog!"

Sebastian looked away from the dog and from the maid. "No, you see, I am merely one hell of a butler…"

"Why not?" Ceil said, cutting off Sebastian.

Everyone was shocked once more but Sebastian gave Ceil the most demonic glare he had in him. "Do you mean that, young master?" He said angrily.

"Yes. It sounds amusing… in several ways." Ceil said giving the lightest glance back to Sebastian.

The butler sighed in defeat and turned around along with everyone else when they heard the stampede of people. They were shouting in joy about the curse being lifted from their little town. Angela explained to them when the curse is lifted the ground would weep tears of forgiveness. Sebastian was confused since the hot spring had been there.

"Shouldn't you declare now that line you so clumsily let slip earlier?" Sebastian told Ceil.

Ceil was annoyed. "You do it."

Sebastian prepared himself for the most dramatic saying of his life. "Case closed!" He said pointing his hand into the air and proudly placing his hand on his hip.

They took a day or two to relax and recover from the thrill of the devil dog. They packed and got ready to leave. As Scarlet set the last box of chocolates they bought onto the carriage Angela placed a collar around Pluto's neck and placed a kiss onto his cheek. "Pluto!" Brad shouted. "If you're going into town, put some clothes on! Don't just swing in the breeze!" Scarlet laughed as Maylene could help neither herself nor her nose. Scarlet stopped climbing onto the carriage when she heard Finni.

"Er, Angela…"

The white haired woman turned to the young blonde boy. "Let's meet again, Finni." She placed a kiss on his cheek turning his whole face red. Scarlet gave herself one last push up and seated herself in the carriage. She was fuming. It had been a little over a week that they had been there and Scarlet still did not understand why she did not like Angela. She seemed nice.

"Well then, shall we be off?" Sebastian asked the rest of them.

Angela smiled warmly again. "I'll certainly come to visit Pluto one day." She said.

"I wish I could refuse." Sebastian said, shocking two maids there. Scarlet turned her head and faced the demon butler. His red eyes burned deep holes into Angela's blue eyes. "Not many people could tame a demon hound. You seem to have a talent for making lesser beings eat out of your hands. The angel woman glared back at him, softly.

Scarlet opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. "Let's go, Sebastian." The horses took off. Scarlet turned her head and watched Angela. Suddenly a shiver ran down her back and the demon seemed more pleasant than that woman. _Something's wrong… something's wrong with her._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: His Butler, Phantomhive Image

This afternoon was simply too warm for Britain and had caused the young master of the Phantomhive household to drag his five servants up into Ciel's office. They all stood up straight. Why had he summoned them without Sebastian? They all swore that some sort of horror was awaiting them and one that would never be able to be erased from their minds. Fired, yes. They were definitely going to be fired. Mey-Rin was courageous to speak first.

"S-So, what did you want to speak with us about?" She asked the young boy.

Ciel opened his eye and looked at them. "I have a job I want you to do." He answered.

Bard, Mey-Rin and Finnian jumped to the opportunity. "Job?!" They shouted, happily. "When he called us here I was so sure we were fired!" The three hugged in joy and happiness.

Ciel pulled out a camera and set it onto the large wooden desk in front of him. "This is a camera said to have been in the famous Talbot's collection." He explained to them. "It's got a story to it. It was missing for some time, but I heard it was coming up at auction and went to great pains to get it."

Four of the servants were confused and everyone turned to the old and wise, Tanaka. He began to straighten out the hairs of his mustache. "William Henry Fox Talbot. He was an English scientist and one of the inventors of photographic technology. There were queer rumors about the last camera he used. Legend has it that when you photograph someone with this camera whomever he thinks of most fondly will appear in the picture… perhaps."

Mey-Rin jumped. "Whomever he thinks of most fondly."

Mey-Rin lost it and Tanaka deflated giving the shrewd twelve year old time to play. "Shall we take a shot to test it out?" He asked. He got under the black cover. Scarlett, Bard and Finnian jumped out of the shot of the camera lenses. "Don't move. Exposure takes ten seconds."

Finnian made himself act like a little soldier. "What's exposure?" Asked Scarlett.

"To put it plainly it's copying an image of Finnian." Bard explained.

Finnian was finding it hard to stay still. "If you don't stay still for ten seconds, the image will blur and we won't get a good picture. 8, 9. 10… done." Ciel said and caped the lenses back up. Finnian began to gasp for air. "It would have been all right to breathe." Ciel said.

They took it to the developing room. "It's my little birdie!" Finnian said as soon as they saw the picture and the small bird that seemed to have flew next to him.

"Huh? You have a birdie?" Bard asked.

"It's so cute!" Mey-Rin cheered.

"I thought Finnian liked all the animals equally." Scarlett muttered to herself, feeling like she was thrown out of a loop.

"I gave it food every day, and one day it started eating out of my hand! I was so happy I gave it a gentle pat and…" Finnian was mimicking what happened with a small statue of a bear and the head fell off. "And it stopped moving." Scarlett wince, Bard was petrified and Mey-Rin freaked out.

"You mean…?"

"Ah I forgot." Tanaka said. "The only loved ones that the camera will show are otherworldly beings… in other words, the dead." Scarlett jumped up into the air and the color fled from her skin.

"The photo contains the otherworldly being you remember most fondly: in other words, someone dead."

Mey-Rin and Bard screamed. "Like anyone would believe such an occult story in the nineteenth century!" Bard stated.

"Amazing, yes! What an outstanding camera!" Mey-Rin shouted.

Everyone seemed to ignore Finnian who was crying about his young bird in the corner of the office and no one seemed to notice the red head maid trying to slip out of the office. "Take a picture of Sebastian with this camera." Scarlett fell back onto the ground with a sigh. "But don't let him notice."

"So you mean, like a candid photo?" Bard asked.

Mey-Rin gasped. "Who does Sebastian think of most fondly?!"

Finnian tilted his head to the side a little bit. "I might want to see that."

"He's always gripin' about my artistic cookin'! He's as human as any of us! He must have a weakness or two!" Bard shouted. Scarlett approached the desk of the young Phantomhive. "This is your chance."

"I trust you can do it?" Ciel asked.

"Yes, my lord!" The three servants piped simultaneously. "Oh I've always wanted to do that!" _What on Earth will appear if we take a photo of him with his camera?_ Ciel thought as the three servants ran away.

They left behind only Scarlett but even Tanaka followed with his old man laugh. Ciel and her locked eyes. "What's the matter, Scarlett?" There was a long moment of silence as the girl tried to formulate some words for the strange feelings that she had. Ciel frowned his brow in anticipation. What could possibly be so important that it was taking her so long to come up with what she wanted to say?

"Sebastian is human." She said. "So… is it really alright to take a picture of him with this sort of camera?" She asked. "Won't it invade his privacy?"

"Are you questioning me?" Ciel asked.

"No, sir, of course not. I simply want to understand the… motive, behind this job."

Ciel flicked over one of the four toy soldiers he had set on his desk. "Nothing, simply a game for me to play." Ciel answered but the gesture had made the maid flinch. "I assume you want no part in this job."

"As much as I would love to partake in ridiculing Sebastian… I find no amusement in prying into someone's life. Especially with such a sensitive topic." She whispered. Ciel eyed her as if he was searching her. The girl jumped. "But of course… I … um… I'll go bring you some tea and scones, my lord." The girl said before fleeing the office with her tail between her legs.

_Ciel is just as scary as Sebastian some times._

Ciel used the doll house made after the mansion and he set the soldier figures into the library. A black sheep was in between them. "At this time of day, Sebastian will be… in the library." He said and watched Scarlett bring in some tea and scones.

They opened a secret slide behind the bookshelves and watched the butler. "Stay still." Bard said as if the words would reach the butler. Before they could take the ten seconds, the butler began to move in his inhuman speed moving from one end of the room to the other. He was not visible to the naked eye let alone the camera. The three servants were in awe of what they had just witnessed. Even the momentary stop for him to add a red rose in the center of the white vase wasn't enough time. Bard sank back. "I forgot to take the picture." He whispered in defeat.

"Next he sets all the rooms." Ciel told Scarlett as her attention got drawn to the little house.

Scarlett set her hands on her hip. "They are only going to infuriate the butler rather than get the task done." She whispered.

Sebastian began to set the red table cloth onto a coffee table in a lounge area. Finnianan without any reason, dashed into the room with a pool table being pushed by his almighty hands. He cried, "Prepare yourself!" The butler simply took the challenge against this bull like a true Spaniard. He set the red cloth in front of pool table as a target and pulled away just in time letting Finnian crash against the wall being the wall, leaving an imprint of himself and the table.

The rattle was felt all the way up to Ciel office. Scarlett watched the crash landing from the window behind the desk of the young master. She winced at the sight. "Is he alive?" Ciel asked.

"Yes. I think his feelings are more hurt than he is." Scarlett said.

Ciel simply moved the toys. "And now, administrative work in his office." He mumbled and set the soldiers and the black sheep into the next room. Sebastian's attention was drawn by the chime of Ciel office. He went up the stairs and made his way to the office. Sebastian knocked on the door. "Come in." The earl said.

"Do you require something, my lord?" Sebastian asked as Scarlett made herself look busy by dusting the books there.

Ciel looked out his window casually and with a monotone look. "It came undone." He simply told his butler.

The butler straightened his posture but had a questionable look on his face. "My lord?" The twelve year old gestured towards the string that was meant to be a bow.

"Very good, my lord." He said. They began to take the photo of the butler as he retied the bow. Scarlett's breath got caught in her throat as she began to count along with Finnian. But the butler noticed the two at the window and went to open it up and they got down avoiding being seen. The butler opened the windows and looked from side to side to find the ones that caused the mischief. "Let's let this room air out a bit." He said.

After another round of failure the three sat in the hallway. "Why do we have to work so hard just to take one measly photograph?" Bard asked. The three sighed and then jumped when Sebastian opened the door from another part of the hall.

"I have a job for you." He said casually.

"W-What is it?" Asked Mey-Rin. Sebastian gestured his head to the demon hound outside.

"The dog? What about him?" Bard asked.

"We'll be receiving a guest in the afternoon. Please transfer that thing somewhere out of sight before he gets here." Sebastian ordered.

Finnian rushed to the window and pressed his face against the glass as Pluto pressed his snout against the glass. "Where would that be?" Bard asked.

"I'll leave it up to you." Sebastian said and turned leaving the hall.

Bard snapped, "Hey, we have got plenty to do ourselves, you know."

Sebastian stopped in before he got to the hall way and casually turned his head. "You can do it in between your other tasks." He said and continued. "Please take care of it before the guest arrives." Pluto yawned as the three were left baffled at what had just happened. "Now I can concentrate on my job." He whispered under his breath once the doors were closed.

A few minutes later they were outside with Pluto. Finnian was playing with the large dog and cried out in glee, "Come here, Plu-Plu!" He laughed and giggled, overjoyed in his usual way. The dog on the other hand was not happy about getting dragged away from the estate by the super strong boy. Finnian gave a tug to send the dog flying but in the air Pluto opened his mouth and let out a stream of fire, burning both Finnian and the rope that he was being pulled by.

With the new freedom, Pluto dashed forward back towards the estate. Mey-Rin and Bard were amazed. "W-Wow! So Plu can breathe fire, yes!" She said, lifting her fists excitedly.

"That's a demon hound for you…" Bard remarked under his breath. He then gasped at a sudden realization. "Wait, we don't have time for this!" He shouted to Mey-Rin.

Back in the mansion the young master was feeling the same anxiety as Bard. _Honestly, what's taking them so long?_ He asked himself as the butler clad in black served him his lunch. "Is something the matter, young lord?" Sebastian asked.

"No, nothing." Ciel said dismissively. "I'll take my supper in here today." He said.

"Very good, my lord." Sebastian replied, placing his hand over his chest. When he lowered it he noticed the set up in the doll house that was modeled after the mansion. He smirked softly and Ciel caught him in the midst of the act. The three soldiers, chasing after the black sheep, this was amusing to the butler.

Scarlett passed by the room getting the clean towels towards the bathroom. She saw them together and sighed heavily and continued her walk. "This is going to go too far…" She mumbled out of her breath and shook her head.

Sebastian stepped out of the mansion to complete his duties and found a big problem laying in front of their steps. No, it wasn't a disaster created by Finnian's gardening skills, it wasn't Bard's pyromaniac explosions, not even Mey-Rin's horrible cleaning job. It was something much more monstrous. The Demon Hound sleeping on their front steps. Sebastian stared at this nuisance while standing in perfect attention. "Really, those three…" He muttered. He sighed and placed his hand on his head as he closed his eyes. "Perhaps it would be better for them to just be eaten by a dog…"

Sebastian was distracted from his misery after he heard a cat meowing. He opened his ruby eyes and looked down at the ground at the adorable feline. The adult black cat walked across the top step. "Well, now." Sebastian said, a smile on his lips. Another second meow woke up Pluto as Sebastian held the cat in the air, gently. He had leaned against the stone railing and had taken a moment to sit down on the top step. Sebastian laid the cat down against his legs.

He began to pet the cat's stomach. "What a limber body… and such soft hands." He pressed against the cat's paw, the razor sharp claws coming out of the fur. The cat was in heaven with Sebastian's petting. "Ah! Cats are lovely." He said.

Pluto turned human after watching this and ran up the stairs to Sebastian. He grabbed the cat out of Sebastian's lap and tossed it aside, throwing himself into Sebastian's embrace, upset that he wasn't being treated with the same zeal. He sighed. "Why must I always be interrupted like this?" He asked himself.

In Ciel office he was reviewing the pictures the three useless servants had taken. All of them were blurry and not of good quality. "We're sorry, young master!" Finnian said.

"B-But Bard thought of a good plan, yes!" Mey-Rin said quickly.

"I thought of it when I saw the dog breathe fire…"

"Absolutely no flamethrowers." Ciel said quickly. The three quickly fell into a slump.

"Oh, my lord!" Lau said coming in unannounced Scarlett after him trying to stop the intruder.

"What are you doing here?" Ciel asked as Lau rested his hands on Ciel des and leaned forward. Scarlett joined the other servants in watching the events unfold.

"I heard you were up to something interesting." He said.

"Go home." Ciel said not wanting to hear another word.

"Don't be so cold. Why not try leaving this up to me?" He asked cunningly. Ciel cocked an eyebrow and looked at the man. "I've already laid the spider's web." He said picking up the black sheep and waving his hands over it. "The more he struggles, the more impossible it will be to escape. Up against me, no prey could ever stand a chance."

Ciel scowled slightly. "Very well. However, failure will not be tolerated – no matter what."

"Naturally. After all, if the Phantomhive name is sullied, I'll be booted out of this country. So, what are you up to?" He asked, playfully at the end. No one could take that stupidity at the end.

A few miles away the guest was approaching the Phantomhive estate. Sebastian stood at the door and waited until the man finally made it to the door. He bowed slightly and said, "Welcome."

The man took off his top hat. "I'm Paul Jones," He said, "the journalist from the Brit Business."

Sebastian stood up straight. "We've been expecting you, Mr. Jones. Right this way, please."

Ciel and Lau peeked out from behind a pillar. "All right, here we go…" Lau whispered as his devious plan came into effect. Sebastian and Mr. Jones began going up the mail stairs. Sitting on the railing was Ranmao, seductively crossing her legs. Mr. Jones was stopped dead in his tracks, Sebastian on the other hand was unaffected and continued to walk.

"What is this?" Ciel said looking away, humiliated.

"Hmm? How odd. I was sure even that butler would look at this…" Lau said, confused.

Ranmao was striking seductive posses, stunning Mr. Jones. "I was a fool for believing in you for even an instant." Ciel snapped.

"It's too soon to give up yet." Lau replied. Lau signaled the team so Finnian and Mey-Rin began to blow fans underneath Ranmao. The breeze lifted her skirt and she moved her legs apart. Mr. Jones and Bard were mesmerized.

Bard went to take a picture but stopped himself and stook his head. "No, not her! Where's…?" He looked around and spotted Sebastian standing around at the top stairs with a disapproving look on his face.

"Mr. Jones?" Sebastian said grabbing his attention.

"Oh, yes!" He said and followed Sebastian.

"Hmm? How odd." Lau said again.

"What did I just waste my time on?" Ciel asked himself.

Sebastian took Mr. Jones to a large meeting room. Tanaka was on one end of a very long table and Mr. Jones and Sebastian on the other. "This is Tanaka, Funtom Company's general director."

Tanaka was inflated for once and chuckled his old man chuckle. "Then I'll start right in on my questions." Mr. Jones said enthusiastically.

As the meeting went on three disappointed servants and Lau stood outside the door of the meeting room. "What could the earl be doing all by himself?" Lau ased. "Is he sulking by himself?"

"He said he wanted to think things over alone." Mey-Rin said.

"He's pretty serious about this." Bard said.

In his office Ciel had called Scarlett to fetch him a cup of tea as he looked over the situation. He had five toy soldiers surrounding the black sheep. "To stop him for ten seconds…" Ciel sighed before breaking out of his serious composure. He let his head be supported by his hand. Scarlett entered the room with a tray for his tea. "This is one technique I didn't want to use but I see there's no help for it." Ciel said.

Scarlett stopped dead in her tracks frightened and nearly tipped the hot pot of tea over. "Young master?"

Not only did the red headed maid notice but also the butler who was rooms away. Sebastian smirked, wickedly. "Next, please tell me about Funtom's business strategy going forward." Mr. Jones asked.

Tanaka was near his limits unable to take being in proper form. Smoke was radiating off of him. He was ready to deflate at any moment. Mr. Jones was confused as to why Tanaka's answer was a mere chuckle. Sebastian answered for the old man, "Our company currently focuses on toys and confections, but we plan to go into other areas as well."

The old man completely gave in and became only a smaller version of himself, leaving the journalist in shock. Sebastian slammed his hands down on the table to take Mr. Jones' attention. "Right now, our company…"

"Y-Yes!" Mr. Jones put his pen down to begin to right.

Sebastian continued. "… is carrying out plans to build outlets across Europe. First we'll open branches in Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Amsterdam and Athens. We plan to expand into thirty countries in the next five years, including those in North America. We'll also build a confection factory in Provence in the south of France and a toy factory in Salzburg in Austria. We continue our efforts to provide an ample supply of goods. In addition, Funtom always strives to maintain or improve the quality of its brand. We will never sell expired goods or lie about where they were made. Only products which have passed numerous rigorous quality tests reach the market graced with the name "Funtom"! Also, our motto is "Customers First"."

Mr. Jones was barely able to write all this down. Regardless Sebastian went on. "We arrive on the scene immediately when called, product in hand, no matter how remote the location. We get out products swiftly to our customers with a perfect delivery system. That is the Phantomhive way! You see?" Mr. Jones rushed to finish what Sebastian had said a small layer of sweat had covered his brows. "That' will be all!" Sebastian barked.

Mr. Jones whipped his forehead with a handkerchief. "Th-Thank you." He said to the butler. "Before I go, I'd like to get a photo, if I may…" He said.

"A photo?" Sebastian asked, apprehensive.

"I'd like you in the shot, too."

"I'm afraid I must decline. You see, I am merely one hell of a butler." Sebastian said letting Mr. Jones leave disappointed. "Today I am serving Demon Hound Bean Cakes made in Houndsworth." Sebastian said once he had a moment to go make a snack for the young master. Sebastian poured another cup of tea from the pot Scarlett had prepared.

Ciel poked a piece and held it up to examine it. "Why this rot?" He asked, he didn't say anything further and just placed it in his mouth.

"Bard and the others appear to have purchased a number of them." Sebastian said as he stood at Ciel's side.

"How did the interview go?" Ciel asked.

"I wish you could have seen Tanaka's brilliant performance as company president."

"Good. After all, I can't take public action." Ciel said.

"Quite. Before he left, he also took a photograph."

"Photograph?"

"Rumor has it that portrait photos have been all the rage lately." Sebastian said.

"Oh?"

"Why not try it yourself?"

"Rubbish." Ciel said lowly and put another piece of bean cake into his mouth. Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle.

A few hours later with the fall of the sun and the rise of the moon a new plan had been set into action. Pluto howled up at the moon at the dead of night. Ciel was staring out the window of his office. Scarlett was cleaning off his desk. "It's almost time." He said.

Scarlett raised her head. "For what, young master?"

Ciel turned and began to head out. "For the plan." He opened the door and left the room. Scarlett gawked for a moment.

"He'll be fine… right?" Scarlett whispered.

Ciel walked himself outside into the garden where Finnian waited with a statue of a headless angel. "Is this really all right?" the gardener asked Ciel.

"Yes." Ciel answered, flatly.

"But…"

"Just do it!" He shouted.

"Yes, my lord!" Finnian twirled the statue in his hands to give it momentum and then with a might push, he tossed it high into the air. It disappeared from sight as it went above the naked eye but soon it was visible again. It was coming right down onto the head of the boy. Ciel did not move. "Young Master!" Finnian shouted, worried.

An explosion sounded that could be heard from the mansion. It was what alerted the only person in the mansion to come running out. It was the same thing that knocked Finnian back. But, this explosion had saved Ciel. He had fell face down. He pushed himself up and looked back at his savior. Sebastian was crouched over him on all fours. From the statue only the wings were left and had remained on Sebastian's back. The crumbled quickly. Sebastian and Ciel were left together, their eyes locked.

Sebastian shifted Ciel under him, cupped the back of his head and brought him closer. Ciel looked away bashfully. The both looked shocks as sparks started flying around them. Lau had set up fireworks from dragons mouths to light up the area. "You make a nice little tableau."

"You're late." Ciel said.

"My apologies. I was preparing supper." The servants in a nearby bush was concentrating on the picture. "Tonight's main dish will be Canard a la Rouennaise."

"I see."

Sebastian chuckled. "You could have just told me to pose for a picture." He said.

"What?" Ciel said as Sebastian leaned back and let Ciel to hold himself up on his own.

"If you had ordered me to, I would have done so at once." He smiled down at the young earl.

Ciel looked away. "What are you talking about?"

Within the next hour Ciel, Lau, Ranmao and Scarlett were in the office as they listened to the racket upstairs. "Aren't you going to go look, my lord?" Lau asked. Ciel stood at the window staring out.

"Young master?" Scarlett whispered trying to get him out of his daze.

Somewhere in the halls of the mansion Pluto raced towards Sebastian. Once the dog reached him, Sebastian knelt down and praised the dog in human form for destroying the picture that was made. "My lord certainly thought up an elaborate piece of mischief this time." Sebastian began walking. "Please sleep outside." He said to Pluto before disappearing into the darkness of the hall.

Sebastian went to get Ciel. "Excuse me, my lord. It's time to prepare you for bed." At that time Scarlett had escorted Lau and Ranmao out, since Ciel wanted to alone but the 12 year old boy had dozed off and fallen asleep. "How untidy of you, falling asleep in a place like this..." Sebastian glanced over at the camera.

Once the sun had risen, it wasn't even an hour in until the three servants began a dispute over the meaning of the picture. Like Pluto, Scarlett had her own tears. "Why do I work here again?" She asked herself.

Sebastian got another plate for Ciel "I am honored." He said to the young lord.

"Be quiet." Ciel snapped back.

"It's your own fault for sleeping in that unguarded way." Sebastian smiled warmly at him.

"Why you…" Ciel hissed.

"The image in the photograph is a mere illusion. But I suppose it is humanity's vain dream to preserve it, even if it is an illusion." Ciel looked at his butler with a scowl.

Scarlett picked up the last of the servants laundry and put it into a second basket. She glanced over at the first basket that she had set aside the previous night. There was a picture laying there. Scarlett picked it up and noticed that it was her sleeping but something was off. Once her mind finally processed what… or who was next to her in the picture she crumbled up the photo. "Damn butler." She muttered under her breath.

Outside Pluto was chasing Bard and Mey-Rin. "Wait I thought the camera could only take pictures of things like my birdie…" FInnian said. "So why is Sebastian in the picture?" Finnian was destracted by Mey-Rin calling out his name. Finnian stood and stopped Pluto by flipping him over onto his back by his snout. "Oh well!" Finnian said with a pure smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: His Butler, On Ice.

The winter had come and with it snow. The rivers had frozen and everyone was chilled to the bone. People gathered around their fires and didn't dare to venture outside without heavy coats. The nights were worse which made it strange as to why a man was running in the middle of this snowy night. This man had a pistol in hand and looked back frequently at the three men chasing him.

The leader of the three was the first to speak in the cold night. "Shit! Don't let him get away! Does Tim even get how hard we worked to steal that thing?!" He barked at the other two.

Tim was very far away from the three and stopped momentarily on the bridge. He opened his clenched hand to reveal a ring with a blue diamond. He began to laugh manically. "It's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it." He said looking down at the ring greedily.

The thief jumped as another man spoke behind him. "You are not suited to that ring." When Tim went to look at the culprit his whole body seemed to be paralyzed like strings made of iron had grasped his body. He couldn't even turn his hand that held his gun. "The Hope piece is searching for a worthy master, you see." Tim moved his eyes so he could look back and saw the outline of a man with a top hat, somehow this man managed to tilt his head to the side in a very unnatural way.

There was a quick yank of the strings that suspended Tim, he screamed in pain and he was dead, his limp body falling over the side of the bridge. The other three watched him fall into the ice and plummet down into the river below. "He jumped…" One said in shock.

"Damned fool…" Their leader murmured.

Back in a warm manor all the servants where finishing up the daily chorus so they could retire for the night. Scarlett was sweeping the foyer and Sebastian was heading up the central stairs, heading for his office. They were the only two servants in close proximities. There was silence. The only thing that was heard was the ticking of the clock. Scarlett was mumbling songs under her breath.

"London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair la- Ah!" She couldn't finish the verse before the front doors swung open and burst of cold air flew into the mansion. Sebastian stopped in his tracks and looked at the door, his hand was dug into his pocket and grasping a kitchen knife. Scarlett had raised her hands in front of her to brace the cold.

No one was there; the door had opened of its own accord. Scarlett approached it and pushed the doors shut. Her back pressed against the door in an instinctive way to hold it shut. The maid looked up at the butler who stood there, his eyes radiating their demonic glow. Could it have been that they both sensed an enemy trying to break in with such headstrong force?

The next day Sebastian and Ciel had gone out into the city to the frozen lake. Shops had been set up and sales people had been sitting around shouting and yelling to draw customers in. "Ladies and gents, this hasn't happened in eighty years! You can't pass up this chance! Come on by!" People played games, others cooked meals and some where just strolling about.

"I see. "Frost fair" is an appropriate name." Sebastian said. He was walking with Ciel across the ice.

"I'm told this is the first frost fair on this scale to be held on the frozen Thames at the foot of the London Bridge," Ciel said and came to a stop, "since the year 1814." Sebastian couldn't help but cock an eyebrow.

"Please wait, my lady!" the maid called after Elizabeth. The blonde lady stopped and looked back.

"Paula, you'll crack the ice if you run so heavily." The brunet maid with the honor of serving the little lady froze in her tracks frightened suddenly.

The maid began to mind her footing. "My lady, I'll be scolded for this." she said, "If your parents found out we were taking such a detour…"

"But Harrods and Liberty were both utterly hopeless!" Elizabeth exclaimed not taking well to this sense of failure. Paula accidently put her foot down hard. She jumped and panicked about it. Elizabeth chuckled at the squirming maid. "I was kidding about the ice cracking." Elizabeth explained feeling slightly guilty for making that joke.

Paula sighed. "My lady it seems you are searching for something… Would you tell me what?" Paula asked trying to be helpful and then noticed the rosy blush that had spread across Elizabeth's cheeks.

"Well… well, it's almost Ciel's birthday! I want him to be pleased with his present. No… I must please him with it!" Elizabeth said with a determined look.

The burnet squealed with happiness. "Oh, oh, oh! I could just eat you up!" She grasped Elizabeth's hands. "I understand, my lady. I, Paula, will do everything I can to help!"

"Thank you, Paula." Elizabeth said, smiling warmly.

"What about that swine Tim?" The gang leader from yesterday asked.

"They found his body, but apparently he didn't have the ring on him." The shorter men of the three answered.

"Then it's…" The gang leader began narrowing his eyes a little.

"Yes. The ring is in the river."

Back that the market place, Ciel looked around at what was being sold. "Roll up, roll up!" A man shouted clapping his hands. "I'm selling these cheap enough to blow even Jack Frost away!" He shouted, "Why not buy one for Christmas?"

Ciel smirked, "What is it, my lord?"

Ciel had his eyes locked on a boat today that was there. "Those are all inferior goods." He said, "If the river freezes again next year, Funtom could set up shop. For example, that's-" He pointed at it with his cane.

The salesperson, who noticed that Ciel's wealth and his interest in the boat, butted in. "Ah, hello there, my noble lad! You have a good eye. That is a fine piece from Funtom Workshop. In other words, from when the popular Funtom Company was still a craft studio."

"A blatant fake of one, you mean." Ciel said, "The Funtom Arks are rare- only three sets were ever made, by an artist my predecessor patronized who used the finest technology. Since our mansion burned down even we no longer have one." Ciel thought about his childhood with Elizabeth for a moment. "They certainly wouldn't turn up here."

"Noah's Ark… it's like this nation itself."

Ciel looked up at Sebastian who had spoken, "What?" He questioned the butler.

"A boat led by a single skipper. The only ones saved are a selected few. It's an arrogant idea." Sebastian smiled at Ciel who couldn't help but scowl back.

Ciel's irritation was interrupted by a familiar man. "You're…" the red head man said. He was an inspector by the clothes he wore and this presence irritated Ciel even further.

"If a Scotland Yar inspector has time to frivol about here, I suppose there must be peace in London… for today." Ciel remarked, crudely.

"I'm not frivolling!" The man exclaimed defensively. "I'm on duty!"

"Oh, my. Well, then, Inspector, earn your wages in faithful service to Queen and country." Ciel turned and began to walk, Sebastian closely behind him.

"Wait! I have some questions for you, Ciel!" the Inspector said. He reached out to grab Ciel's shoulder to stop him but he was stopped instead as Sebastian slapping his hand away.

"Pardon me, but as you can see my master is fragile—" Ciel glared at the butler to cut off that air in his tone, especially on the word fragile. "I mean, sensitive," Sebastian corrected himself and then bowed slightly, "so I'll have to ask you not to be so rough." Sebastian said with the upmost respect to this member of Scotland Yard.

Both the boy and inspector moved on to a teashop that had set up on the ice. A cute waitress, who's skirt barely covered her, set their tea cups in front of them. Ciel took a sip from his and then the in the inspector. Ciel reached out and took the biscuit that was served to them into his hand. "Well? What's a detective from the Yard doing here, Inspector Abberline?" He asked.

The man put his cup down and began to explain the situation to the boy. "This morning, a man's corpse was discovered underneath this ice." Ciel took a bit of the food, "He was a member of a certain criminal organization. We're looking for his killer and for the ring he stole. There's a blue diamond set in the ring that's supposedly worth 2,000 quid." Abberline said with a grave expression.

"The diamond… the gemstone that gleams in eternal radiance… legend has it that those bewitched by its sparkle are compelled to pursue it even when they know only destruction awaits." Ciel and Abberline looked to their side to see the Chinese man, Lau, speaking cryptically about the matter at hand.

Abberline stood shocked, "Why do you know about the Hope piece?!"

The name of the stone was what grabbed Ciel's attention. "The Hope piece?!" He said gasping.

"Hmm? What's this? So there really is such a jewel!" Lau said holding Ranmao in his arms. The sheer stupidity of the man once again made Ciel sigh but it wasn't only him but also the inspector.

"What?! But you just said-!" Abberline exclaimed, confused.

"He was just blathering. Don't give him any attention." Ciel advised. "Never mind that, Lau, what are you doing here?" Ciel asked.

"I own this place." Lau said, innocently. Ciel and Abberline glanced over at the waitresses who were dressed provocatively. "Say, this "Hope" thing sound interesting, my lord. Will you tell me more?"

Ciel put his tea down. "You've never heard of the blue diamond that we call the Hope because it was part of Henry Philip Hope's collection?" Ciel asked.

"Nope!" Lau answered sheepishly.

Ciel began to tell the history of the blue diamond and its importance. "Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette… It's known as a diabolical stone that's passed through the hands of many owners and driven all to ruin. Then, after being stolen yet again, the diamond was cut to disguise it, producing smaller pieces." The ring on Ciel's thumb glistened as if it recognized its own story, like it had a mind of its own and its own memories. "They say two pieces of the Hope diamond exist. Is one of them what you're searching for, Abberline?"

"Explosives were used on the carriage transporting evidence, and it was stolen." Abberline said, in defeat.

"Interesting." Ciel said, leaning in. His childish side kicked in immediately at the prospect of this, "Give me the details. I'll lend you a hand on this." Abberline was shocked. "Naturally I won't force you. But if you refuse, your superior Sir Arthur might find himself in a very awkward position." Ciel threatened with a terrible smile. Suddenly, Abberline found himself between a rock and the game of a child.

"My lady! Aren't these wonderful?!" Paula asked as she leaned over a table at the market place.

Elizabeth looked back at the maid who had picked up two jingle bells. Paula had a large smile on her face and waited for the reaction of the little lady. "No, those aren't cute at all!" She said.

Paula was shocked and her smile dropped a little. "Oh? I-Is that so, my lady? I think they are…" She said. "I think they are wonderful… Jingle, jingle."

"Paula, you don't understand at all." Elizabeth said and began to turn around. "Never mind, I'll look on my own!"

"Please wait, my lady!" Paula shouted and followed after Elizabeth.

A man passed by then cracking a music box that played London Bridges they walked right by him. He watched them to the point that his head made a 180. His purple eyes glared at the back of Elizabeth's golden hair.

Ciel squirmed uncomfortably. He turned his head to Abberline, "Is this really the place?" He asked.

"Yes. He says he set up shop because lots of people freeze to death during the frost fair." Abberline shrugged.

"My lord, don't tell me this shop is…" Lau began.

Ciel let it sink in that he was standing in front of the Undertaker's shop. "You lot wait outside. You're lucky I let you accompany me at all." Abberline stepped in without realizing the door wasn't actually a door it was more of a tent, so he fell into the shop.

"So foolhardy…" Ciel said under his breath.

"It's one of the privileges of youth." Lau said, smiling. "So, what is this place?" He asked cheer.

"The Undertaker's funeral parlor!" Ciel shouted, agitated. "You met him during the Jack the Ripper case!" Lau smiled and finally remembered, "Abberline should come crying for help any minute." Ciel said thinking that the Inspector was too uptight to make the white haired man laugh. To Ciel's dismay the whole tent echoed with the Undertaker's laughter.

Ciel approached the tent and entered. He found Abberline standing confused and the Undertaker on his back dealing with the aftermath of his cackling. The Undertaker finally rose to his feet. "You're amazing! I tell you, you're in the wrong business! You could rule the world of comedy!" He chuckled again.

Ciel stood next to Abberline. "What did you do?!" He asked.

"I was just conversing normally. But out of nowhere he…." The Undertaker cackled some more.

Ciel scoffed. "Abberline, you're a man to be feared."

Sebastian glared at Abberline. "It appears you are rather skilled, Inspector."

"I didn't…" The flames quickly rose between them.

Ciel slammed his hands onto a coffin. "Tell me about the ring, Undertaker!" He shouted. The Undertaker giggled a little. "We're told a frozen corpse you took care of this morning had it."

"It might be buried near where the body was found. As an upstanding citizen of London, I call on you to cooperate with us." Abberline said.

"I am profoundly impressed, Inspector… I'll tell you all about it. The ring is…" He brought them to the ice sculpture of the queen. "…right there, see?" He said and pointed at the finger of the sculpture.

Abberline cried out in dismay. "It looks like the artisan happened to find the frozen ring and designed a sculpture to complement it." Lau explained.

"Collect it! Right now!" Abberline cried out to other policemen. The rushed in to get the ice off it but were interrupted.

"What are you doing, you fiend?!" The judges of a new competition were all standing there… the judges and the Viscount.

"That is the sacred lady bestowed on the victor. You must not touch it." The blonde man told the group.

Ciel shuddered and skin broke out. "Lord Druitt!" He said in a strained voice. "Judging a contest? Why him?"

Lau tilted his head confused. "Wasn't he arrested by the Yard for human trafficking?" Lau asked Abberline.

"He was released the other day." Abberline replied to the Asian man.

"Money, eh?" Ciel muttered her his breath and Abberline got a vicious scowl on his face.

The Inspector stepped forward. "Excuse me, but Scotland Yard will be taking charge of this sculpture." He explained as gentle as possible.

The man in charge snapped at the man. "Absolutely not! This frost fair is a festival for the citizens! Even Scotland Yard can't ride roughshod over it!"

"Beauty is something to be admired," said the Viscount in his dramatic way, "You mean to violate this noble lady?"

"Hypocrite." Ciel snapped.

"If you insist on having her, offer something of suitable beauty."

:Just what I would expect from Lord Druitt, lover of art, beauty and food! He's quite right! If you want this sculpture, win it in the contest!" The head of the contest said.

"I see, there's merit in that. The ring belongs to the winner." Ciel said smiling in his own devilish way again. "I like the simplicity of it."

"Ciel?" Abberline said turning to the young earl.

"I'll get that ring." He said innocently to the man.

"That's stolen property!" Abberline defended, "And key evidence in the serial kidnappings of young girls!" Abberline gasped and covered his mouth.

Ciel smirked. "Aha, I can see why the Yard would be searching so frantically for it."

"But it's the truth that each owner of the ring disappears! It really is a cursed stone, but you're—"

Abberline backed off a bit when Ciel raised his head. "Cursed, eh? Then it suits me all the more." Ciel said, lifting the blue diamond ring close to his lips.

"Come to think of it, I seem to recall your ring had a pretty blue stone!" The undertaker said. Ciel answered him. "You should take care. Diamonds are hard. But because you are hard, they are brittle. If you go too far, you may be shattered as well." The Undertaker advised.

"What of it?" Ciel said with a grimace. "This body and this ring…" Ciel smiled wickedly before kissing it. "… have already been shattered and then reborn. I'm far past being afraid of shattering."

Sebastian smirked.

"Win the contest." He was ordered soon after.

"Yes, my lord."

Scarlett finished placing the last flowers in the vase since a shipment of the flowers that were in season came in. Scarlett thought back to this morning about how Sebastian and Ciel had gone out to go to the Frost Fair. She could hear Pluto chasing Finnian outside and tried to react to it.

She had an unusual gloomy expression. She stepped back to examine the flowers, she sighed stepped closer and began to rearrange them again. There was silence all around her, which was strange to her. She jolted when she heard laughter of a child. She twisted around accidently knocking over the pot with flowers.

Scarlett felt the same chill as last night. "Oh no…" She whispered.

Mey-Rin saw her and dropped the towels that she was holding. She dashed to her fellow maid and grabbed her to hold her steady. Only at that point did Scarlett realize that she was shaking. "Scarlett, you have a fever. Maybe you should rest."

"I should go find Sebastian…" She whispered her sight going fuzzy, hearing the laughter the child giggling joyously in her ears yet again.

The contest was begun with the sound of noise. "I now open the frost fair's customary snow and ice sculpture contest! You have until 3:00!" the announcer said. "And now please begin."

Paula heard the commotion and jingled the bells she had in her hand. "My lady, there seems to be a lively event happening over there." Paula stopped when she realized that Elizabeth was deep in thought.

_Ciel…_ his name rang through her head along with the memory of her shattering his precious ring. _I'm sorry, Ciel._ _I'm so sorry. But to make up for it, I'll find you a lovely present!_ She gasped and saw the ship, the toy Noah's Ark. "Show me that!" She shouted, joyous to see it.

The Big Ben rang at three. "Now we will begin judging! First, we have team Scotland Yard and Its Merry Men, with "Guardian of London"!" the man gestured towards the sculpture of the head of Scotland Yard. The Viscount shook his head. "Your scores, please!" the announcer said to the judges. The poor police officers received only five points.

"Next we have an entry from team All Chinese Dresses Should Be Minis…" the sculpture was a nude Ranmao. "But I'm afraid that for various reasons I'm disqualifying it."

"Why?" Lau asked tilting his head to the side.

"How could you think it was all right to exhibit that here?!" Ciel shouted at his ally.

"I think hiding the bits like that makes it even more erotic…" Lau mumbled.

All judges had denied the scoring except for the Viscount who had given the sculpture a ten. "Can you win?" Ciel asked Sebastian.

"Of course. You have ordered me to do it; I will not fail."

"And next, from team Queen's Puppy, "Noah's Ark"!"

"What a grand scale it's at!" the head of the judges said. "This is true ice art!" the sculpture glistened in the sunlight that escaped from the clouds.

"Most amazing! Let's see how many points—"

"Please wait one moment." Sebastian interrupted. "You haven't seen it all yet." Sebastian snapped his fingers and on cue the top of the ship cracked in two to reveal another sculpture of all the animals that were on the ship at the time.

"It's like it's alive!" A man in the crowd commented and Ciel smirked in response.

"I see!" the head of the judges exclaimed once more. "He deliberately made the seam of the roof weak so that it would melt over time and slip apart!"

The Viscount began to gasp beginning a spiel. "The man who stood bravely against the relentless storm of God's wrath! His name, Noah! And a pair of beasts he led rocked on the waves, waiting for their rebirth."

"Bravo, young man! I mark you as a skilled ice sculptor…"

"No, sir." Sebasitan said smirking his usual seductive smirk, "I am merely one hell of a butler."

"Let's see the scores!" the announcer said.

"Hold it right there!" the gang leader interrupted, pulling out a gun from his coat. "Sorry, but this ring belongs to us. We're taking it back."

Abberline jumped. "What? Don't tell me you're—"

"We're the team of bombers thieves that all of London is talking about." The rest of the team and him got out the explosives. The gang leader pulled out a lighter from his pocket after revealing the dynamite on him. "I'll count down from ten." He said with a smile holding some dynamite on his hand. "If you don't want to die, get the hell out of here. Ten!"

People began to flee, with the exception of the police force and Ciel and Sebastian. "Young master." Sebastian said.

"Nine."

"My orders remain the same." Ciel said. "Do it, Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord."

"Eight!"

"What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and run, Ciel!" Abberline shouted.

"Seven!"

"You can run if you want to. Forget about me." Ciel responded.

"Six!"

"I can't do that!" Ciel, now shocked, turned his head to look at the Inspector. "I joined the police to protect the citizens!"

"Five!"

"To protect everyone!" Abberline concluded raising in his fist triumphantly. He rushed out towards Ciel.

Ciel smirked. "Fool." He muttered under his breath.

"Four!" The man shot at Abberline's feet. "Stay away!" he warned and pointed the gun from the Inspector to the Earl. "Only three left. You sure you don't want to run, little nobleman?"

"There's no need." Ciel said, nonchalant.

The man was shocked and slightly frightened by Ciel's ease. Seemingly out of nowhere Sebastian jumped from his side and kicked the gun out of the man's hand with ice skates. The other two men that were there began to shoot at Sebastian. The butler jumped into the air and did four twists before landing back down to his feet. The judges who were watching from afar gasped. "It's the mythical quadruple jump!"

"A noble black swan flying through a silvery-white world! Lured by that devlish smile, the maiden is embraced by his wings in flurry of ecstasy." Ciel shivered as he realized that Lord Druitt was speaking about him. Sebastian knocked down the other men and the judges raised straight tens.

The gang leader grabbed one of the dynamites on him and put it to the fire. Once the string was on fire he tossed it towards the earl. "Get blown to smithereens!" He shouted. Ciel couldn't move in time to avoid it. However all was well, as the butler grabbed him and lifted him into the air with only one hand. Ciel was in a border line panic. The dynamite exploded with no harm being done. "Damn this monster!"

The bomber began tossing dynamite towards Sebastian but the man elegantly dodged. After a few the other bomber came rushing forward. "Boss, stop! Have you forgotten?! We're standing on ice!" He shouted realizing that he had made a enough holes in the ice that they formed a circle. The ice around them cracked.

"Sebastian!" Ciel said, not liking the sight of the ice. Sebastian lowered him and began to spin Ciel The young earl watching his butler as his feet dangled in the air, his cloak flying off. He was confused before Sebastian gave him a quick projection into the air. Ciel gawked at the butler's devilish smirk. When the ice crumbled into the water underneath them Ciel and Sebastian landed on the Noah's Ark that Sebastian had made. Ciel placed his hand on his hips slightly agitated.

The Viscount began a speech. "The ship sails on, leaving human despair behind!" He shouted into the rays that peeked through the grey clouds. "The ship sails on, along with the future of the world!" He shouted making the two women there swoon. "Carrying the chosen pair's hope, the ship sails on towards a rapturous dream!"

"It's Noah… it's truly Noah's Ark. A Bibical miracle has happened on the Thames!" A judge said with tears in his eyes.

With the silence they had Ciel began the criticism. "Your methods were very violent."

Sebastian bowed his head. "I apologize, my lord. When baggage drags one down, it's best to toss it."

Ciel's gaze went from Sebastian to the water. "The hope piece will sleep at the bottom of the Thames… I suppose that end has its own charm."

"'London, be cursed'?" Sebastian asked. The ice in and around the ring crumbled freeing the stone and metal letting it dance its way silently back towards the surface.

"If that's all it takes to destroy this city or this nation, they were never meant to survive. After all…" Ciel looked down at his ring, " the Phantomhives have always… Sebastian, you said Noah was arrogant, but you don't think it's more arrogant and foolish to think you can save everyone – to want to do that?"

Sebastian closed his eyes and bowed his head. "So it would seem."

Ciel smirked. "But an idiot of that sort every now and then might not be so bad."

_Just who are you, Ciel?_ Abberline thought to himself as he looked out at the Thames at the young earl floating in his icy boat.

At home the young Elizabeth, upset and frustrated threw the gift she had purchased for Ciel onto the ground, breaking the boat into two and the animals scattering onto the floor. Paula gasped and called Elizebeth's name out in concern. "Father said it was a blatant fake! It's so cruel! I thought…. I thought I would be able to please Ciel!" In the midst of her frustration Elizabeth told Paula to leave the room. The young girl sank to her knees. "Ciel, I'm sorry. I wanted to give you a wonderful gift…." As she began to cry her eyes caught something sparkling.

She picked up a ring from the boat… a ring with a blue stone, the sister of Ciel's ring.

"And so I thought to myself that the Hope piece has found a new keeper on its own, my master." The puppet man bowed as the moonlight hit him. There was silence in the room except for the humming of an old and familiar tune. "London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: His Butler, However You Please

"Honestly…" Sebastian said. "You have no one to blame but yourself." He poured a cup of hot tea before handing it over to the maid. She took it with both hands and took a sip. She felt her throat clearing up before becoming shut once again. She coughed heavily and removed one hand from the cup and placed it against her neck. It felt ice cold and the rest of her felt boiling hot. Sebastian held the hand that held the cup to keep it steady. He sighed, "You are still much too weak for solid foods."

Scarlett looked at him and shivered. "Sebastian, how is the young master doing?" She asked as the butler took the cup of tea and placed it on the nightstand.

"Don't worry yourself too much, just lay down and rest." He helped her back into her bed and tucked her in.

"If this is how you are going to treat me, I should get ill more often."

Sebastian scoffed getting his things back onto the tray. "You are lucky you don't have pneumonia." He said. "When did this happen?"

"The burst of cold air that night before the…" She turned to her side and coughed harshly. He stroked her hair back a bit and saw how physically exhausted just talking made her.

"Speak no more, save your strength, Scarlett." She nodded and Sebastian left her to rest. Almost immediately the maid fall asleep. However as she slept she could hear the sound of that song. It woke her up instantly. She got out of bed and knocked over the cup of tea that Sebastian left. She couldn't breathe and her heart was racing, despite being sick her body was acting as if there was danger. Once she came down from that high of adrenaline, Scarlett began to fall asleep. She didn't have any time to get back into the bed so she fell asleep knelt down in front of it, her head and arms resting on it.

Sebastian came in the next morning to give her some medicine and was confused by the position he found her in. He went to pick her up but just his touch, woke her up. "Sebastian?" She whispered. Her voice was terrible, thick and raspy. She shook her head as Sebastian got her to her feet. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound fine." He said, dusting her off. "Rest." She shook her head in protest.

"I want to go back to work." She said and started heading towards the door trying to get away from the demon butler only to feel so weak that her knees gave out on her. Before she went crashing down to the ground Sebastian caught her by her waist. He brought her back to her bed bridal style and placed her on it.

"You are not allowed to move from this bed until you are better." He said, his eyes were glowing threateningly and his smile hid a murderous intent that Scarlet could see. He put down her cup of tea and a small cup of medicine before taking his tray once more and leaving.

"Damn demon…" Scarlett muttered sinking into the covers of her bed.

Sebastian went upstairs to entrance of the manor. Ciel was also there and tailing close behind, as they got ready for his violin lessons. The doors slammed open for Elizabeth to come rushing in. Sebastian became a perfect statue in the background as the young blonde girl called out his name ran up the stairs to him and embraces him tightly, spinning around with him enough to make the young earl dizzy. She held his hands as Ciel attempted to regain control of his feet.

"Here, this is for you. Hurry up and open it, won't you?" She said joy dripping out of her mouth. Ciel took the ribbon and began opening the gift when Elizabeth noticed the ring on his finger. She immediately grabbed his hand stopping him from opening her gift. "But I broke this! How…" Her voice became reduced to a small whisper, upset and nearly devastated.

"Oh, Sebastian repaired it." Ciel said looking down at the ring along with her.

Elizabeth looked up at him, anxiety filling her. "What? But it was chipped! And I don't see any cracks…"

Sebastian smiled. "Yes. A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much—" The demon was cut off by his master.

"…isn't worth his salt." Ciel said completing the infamous phrase.

Sebastian smirked a bit and bowed his upper body. "Quite, my lord." He said momentarily amused by the young lord.

"Sebastian, repaired it… I see…" Elizabeth took a step back and lowered her head, her maid took a stand next to her.

Sebastian smiled and with the slightest tilt of his head he asked, "What do you have in that box, Lady Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth became momentarily flustered before reaching out and snatching the box from Ciel. "Er, um, it's a secret!"

Ciel was drawn back, "Didn't you just say you were giving it to me?" He asked with the slightest tone in his voice.

Elizabeth giggled, quickly covering up her tracks, "That was a fient." She explained in a matter-of-fact like tone.

"Fient?" Ciel questioned.

The young blonde girl put her hand to her lips and giggled again with a small blush. "No proper lady would try to win her gentlemen with material things! That's disgraceful!" Her hands dropped behind her. Her fingers were felt so light that she could drop the box in her hands at any moment. "Now, Paula, ring the bells!"

"Yes, my lady!" The maid took the bells out of her coat pockets. "Jingle, jingle!" She said along with the chimes of the bells and a smile on her face.

Elizabeth waved at Ciel, "Well, then, good afternoon!" She exclaimed, grabbed Paula and ran out of the manor as abruptly as she came in.

Ciel was left on the top step and after a moment voiced his mental question, "So… what did Lizzie come here for?"

Sebastian smiled, "Tomorrow is your birthday." His eyes glanced over at the young teen, "I imagine that is the reason." Ciel gasped softly before his confused expression softened and immediately following became stern, his gaze downcast. "Well, young master? Why not hold a birthday party?" Sebastian asked, baiting him ever so slightly. "After all, it seems there are others who wish to celebrate you, too."

Ciel ignored the presence of the servants hiding against a pillar in the foyer. "My birthday…"

* * *

_It was snowing, everyone was buzzing with the holiday spirit in the streets of London and one young boy had strayed fom his mother. He found a man who seemed friendly and looked up at him, the man confused as to why this child, who seemed to be a noblemen's child, approached him so casually. Wide and round blue eyes looked up at him, the boy's cheeks made his face look round and he's pale face was just full of innocence. "Guess what? It's my birthday!" The boy said. _

_A young woman with blonde hair rushed over to them and took the child by the shoulders gently. "Honestly, now! I'm so sorry, sir!" The woman said with a smile._

_The man raised his hat to her slightly and smiled back at her. "Not at all. Your son is quiet charming." He said assuming that the blonde woman before him was the child's mother._

_The bright young child continued, "Mother said she'll let me sleep in her bed tonight as a treat! She'll read me a book, too! And then-" _

This memory was almost too painful… because on his birthday everything was stained with red flames.

"_Father! Mother!" The young boy shouted running through the burning mansion trying to find his beloved parents. He opened up the door to his father's study, hoping to find the man there. "Fath—" The boy stood his eyes widened at the figure sitting in the seat._

A mother would let her child sleep in her bed and the father would give his child a present.

"_We shall give you the mark of the noble beast."_

And every child looks forward to it…

"_Are you alright? You seem as though you have seen a ghost?" _

_There were silent screams._

_And red-hot pain._

A child always looks forward to their birthday.

* * *

Ciel turned on his heel without another word, the smile on Sebastian's face fell. "Young master?" He questioned as the boy began to walk up the stairs.

"This is nonsense." The quick and sharp remark came. "Bring tea to my room."

Sebastian immediately bowed his head, closed his eyes and placed his marked hand over his chest. "Very good, my lord." When Sebastian looked up and opened his eyes a flicker of light caught his eyes, it was difficult to tell what the man was thinking or what he was feeling, but by the slightest frown of his lips, whatever thoughts were running through the demons mind it was not pleasant.

* * *

Traffic hit, and all the carriages on the road had ceased movement. Paula took a quick peek outside as the young blonde girl looked down at the blue diamond ring. "Perhaps it's constriction in the underground?" Paula speculated aloud. When her eyes caught Elizabeth's sulking face, she immediately grabbed the bells. "Look, my lady!" She rang the bells. "Jingle, jingle."

"Paula?"

"Yes? Jingle, jingle!" She said ringing the bells again with much more enthusiasm.

"You always seem so happy."

The maid panicked. "I apologize, my lady!"

"No, I'm not criticizing." Elizabeth explained a small smile on her face. Elizabeth fell back into her seat to admire the ring in her hand. "You just seem so cheerful, with no cares in the world. I envy you."

Paula seemed confused and placed her hands onto her lap. "B-But you're usually… that is, I mean to say…" Paula blushed and looked away. "What will we do if we're suck until night fall?" The maid asked looking out the window once more.

Elizabeth leaned forward as a blue light emitted from the stone of the ring.

* * *

Scarlett was drinking some tea when she felt like her soul was drained from her body, momentarily. The cup of tea in hand fell and fell onto the bed, and seeped through the quilt, sheets and nightgown and burned the skin on her legs ever so slightly. Yet, she didn't feel the burn. She swore she was hallucinating, because she saw Ciel as a child being picked up by Madam Red. She would not know of this, she wasn't around for that time so she shouldn't have such images in her mind.

She bent her body over towards her knees and cupped her face into her hands and closed her eyes. "Mey-Rin, Brad… Finny." She rasped, knowing that even if she cried out for them it was meaningless. Scarlett's body temperature was rising and rising significantly.

A gloved hand pressed against her neck and gently tilted it back and soon her whole body followed suit. She looked up to find Sebastian there. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I feel like I'm on fire… Ciel… is Ciel alright?" She asked, barely managing to keep her eyes open, Sebastian blurring and clearing in her sight as the man cradled her neck and gently let her head rest onto the pillow below her.

The man smirked, "The young master and I are leaving for a small job in town. Please, stay in bed and continue to drink tea. You have developed a fever, which means your condition is worsening."

Scarlett shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'm—" The same winded feeling over took her again, this time felt as though a dog came up to her and had put his snout into the palm of her hand.

She came to when Sebastian called out her name. "Scarlett, sleep…" His hand moved from the back of her neck and covered her eyes and the red-headed maid almost instantly drifted off to sleep.

Sebastian exited her room and closed the door quietly. "Bradroy, Mey-Rin, Finnian, Tanaka." He said and the four immediately turned the corner and stood in front of the butler. "Make sure that Scarlett doesn't hurt herself and please give her a few more cups of tea to drink." A smile lit his face.

"Yes! I-Is she ok?" Mey-Rin asked.

The butler nodded. "Nothing to worry about. Please, when me and the young master return inform me of any odd behaviors that she exhibits." The servants nodded and the butler began to walk away from the scene.

* * *

About an hour later, Ciel alone made it to the scene of Elizabeth's disappearance as he sent the butler to tend to the matter of the missing girls. He was not in a pleasant mood, in fact he didn't remember last time his mood was so foul, he stared down the street and found some motivation to keep going for Elizabeth, he did not want to lose her. "She said she lost Elizabeth somewhere around here…" He said to himself before becoming frustrated. "But, why am I with him?!" he questioned, daring not to look at Pluto was was sitting beside Ciel in his human form and a butler's attire.

He thought about Sebastian's words and he became only more frustrated by the situation. "Well, no matter. You're a dog. You can at least distinguish scents, can't you?" He took the red ribbon out of his pocket and knelt down in front of the dog butler, "This is the ribbon from Lizzie's present."

Pluto sniffed, sneezed and began to scratch his ear, uninterested by the task presented in front of him. "Why you…" Ciel muttered his frustration intensifying. "Do you intend to obey only Sebastian?!" Pluto took off once he saw a female dog down one of the alleys. "Don't start rutting here!" Ciel shouted pulling on the leash to keep Pluto at bay.

"Oh my!" A voice from the darkness cried out in a melodramatic manner, "A gentlemen in rut? My heart's going pitter-patter!" Ciel looked up and not too happy to see the man clad in the dangerous color of red. "I am a hunter of love." He stood on the ceiling of a nearby building the moonlight illuminating him. "My heart is ablace seeing studly prey before me! Red with heat, sending sparks flying!" He cried out passionately and revealed himself to be the one and only, Grell, much to Ciel's distaste recalling the incident with madam red. He turned to face the pair and pointed his finger towards Pluto, "I spy a gorgeous man!" He howled.

"You're…!" Ciel started, his tone filled with spite.

"I'm a more _deadly_ efficient butler than I look!" He struck his signature pose and Ciel cringed, "Though I am currently without a master…" He began and shrugged as if it was nothing. He jumped from the roof and landed in front of Ciel and Pluto to be at an even level with them. Grell placed his hands on his lips, his red glasses slid forward and he puckered his bottom lip forward to mumble his complaints. "After the Madam Red incident I was temporarily demoted, and now I'm a lowly assistant." He waved his hand dismissively at the title. "That brute Will told me he won't give me my old post back until I collected some truly trouble souls! That rotten sadist!" His finger tapped against his chin, "Though it's true that food tastes better when it's a little rotten…" Grell began to tremble, "And those cold eyes do give me a thrill!" His eyes turned to Pluto, "But this boy's roughness is very nice, too." Ciel's glare intensified, "Dear me… were you planning to avenge your beloved aunt?"

"Shut up." Ciel expertly snapped in an even tone.

Grell waved his hand dismissively, "I don't see Sebas-chan here. What can a little brat like you do?"

"Shut up!" Ciel snapped again this time losing his cool, Pluto came forward to defend his master and started growling at Grell.

Grell's eyes widened. "Oh, is he your knight tonight? Why does the nipper get all the good-looking men?" Pluto growled even more and ran off towards Grell. This excited Grell, "Ah, he's going to attack! At least be gentle!" He opened up his arms but the white haired man ran past him, Ciel behind him. Grell, momentarily went through shock before a flame burst inside him. "Hey… Well, I never!" He said whining like a child.

* * *

Scarlett was dreaming… she had to have been. She had lived this moment in her life before. The dress she was wearing was of good quality, the last one her mother had bought for her, green and beige dress. She was standing beside the dinning room table. Scarlett's breathing became erratic; she knew who was about to walk in through that door those people would walk in the door, words that she had replied millions of times in her head would be played again and then it would be the end.

"This is my daughter, Scarlett," She heard her mother speak their surname and not her self given surname. "Scarlett, this is Lord Vincent Phantomhive." _What?_ No… this, this was different, this wasn't the right man, he wasn't suppose to be here. She looked up. She swore it was simply an older version of Ciel looking down at her. His image blurred before her and the warm colors of her old home were replaced by the cool and refreshing colors of a spring garden she heard the laughter of children and the scene changed again.

There was a cold brick table with a child on it, a man with a black cloak and a white flared mask holding a knife. He brought the knife down on the child's chest, warm red blood spraying into the air. "Save us!" Those words rang across the place she was in. Scarlett screamed at the top of her lungs as if it would help her escape such the image as liquid fire engulfed her. "Burn it!"

Her eyes shot open to find Brad and Mey-Rin holding her arms back, Finny standing in front of her worried. "Oh…" She whispered and her eyes fell shut once more and she fell into another dark abyss.

* * *

Ciel ran through the streets of London, tailing behind Pluto until the dog man honed on one store. Ciel glanced at it from a distance. His eyes widened slightly at what was in the display, a perfect porcelain replica of… "Lizzie!" He cried out and went to go and reach out towards the shop but was stopped by the red death reaper.

"To-Die List, number 493: Butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay," Grell read from his book before looking up at Ciel. "Drossel Keinz." They heard Pluto bark and Ciel and Grell went towards the store.

Ciel dashed in to find Pluto with his teeth sunk into the doll. Pluto turned around innocently, the doll still in his mouth. Ciel knelt down and Pluto went to him, releasing the doll. Ciel noticed the ribbon around the waist of the doll was the same ribbon in Elizabeth's hair. Ciel looked around and found the open back door. He stood and dashed forward and out the door to reveal a mansion and Ciel knew Elizabeth would be inside there.

Grell walked out and saw the mansion as well. "Goodness, what a delightful estate."

Ciel forced himself to swallow his pride, avenging his aunt was not as important as saving his fiancé. "Grell, protect me." Ciel ordered.

"What?" Grell asked shocked glancing down on the boy.

"I'll grant you any request."

Grell moved his hand dismissively again. "Don't be insulting! I'm not just the sort of cheap girl you can just pay—"

"I'll give you leave to do whatever you wish with Sebastian for a day." Ciel interrupted the hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Hmm? Whatever I wish with Sebas-chan means…" The click in his head was almost audible. "I can even kiss him?!"

"Do as you like."

"W-With Tongue?!"

"Whatever you order him to do."

Grell squealed like a girl, "Suddenly my Fired-Up Meter is maxed out! I'm deadly serious!" They marched on forward with excitement, on Grell's part only, towards the mansion. Grell slammed the front doors open. "All right here we go!" He shouted and then everyone did a double take in seeing a girl standing at the center of the room. "Oh my. Doesn't that ring look awfully like yours?" Grell asked as they approached the girl. Ciel looked down and saw the Hope Piece.

As Ciel realized from where he recognized this girl she lashed out and grabbed Ciel by his neck. "P-Pluto!" He called but the dog man was too preoccupied by a nearby doll. "You mongrel." Ciel hissed finding it difficult to breath.

Ciel heard a thud and the girl released Ciel. He fell down all long with the crystal from the chandelier that hit her head. "Now, now. I wish you'd call the right name." Ciel looked up and saw him on top of a grand light fixture. "Reapers have the tools to harvest souls." He pulled out two kiddie scissors from his coat pockets, "Yes, death scythes."

Ciel got on his feet and promptly pointed it out. "Those are… just scissors." He muttered.

Grell felt angry tension once more. "I can't help it! Will took my custom death scythe away! I miss its vibration so much!" He called out and embraced himself remembering the sensation. "That's it! I'll chop you to bits!"

Grell swooped down and Ciel raised his hand. "Wait! Don't kill her! She's no doll!" He called out trying to stop him but it was too late. The girl fell, her throat sliced open. Ciel dashed to her and saw the wood dust calling out of the cut.

"Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away." Grell and Ciel looked towards the source of the singing and the two large doors swung open. The puppet man stepped out of the shadows with a candelabrum. "This doll was a failure." Ciel stood from his kneeling position beside the girl. "So I thought to myself:" the man stopped walking, "I must make them much, much stronger." He raised his hand and began conducting. "Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel.

Out of the shadows came more dolls and the man disappeared into the shadows. "They're… " Ciel muttered, noticing these girls were the ones who had vanished.

"Hmph!" Grell shouted, agitated. "Anyone who stands in the way of Sebas-chan's and my love…" Grell ran towards the girls, "get's this!" He lashed out at them with his scissors but he was repelled falling back at Ciel's feet. He gawked at the new enemy. "Their hard…" He muttered shocked.

"Grell, this is an order. You and Pluto play with these dolls… forever." Grell was shocked by that order. With the Hope Piece in his hand Ciel dashed off past the dolls trying to escape and get closer to his desired target.

"You're going to leave me behind?! You're inhuman!" Grell accused.

"A reaper is calling me that?!" Ciel retorted as he made it to the door.

* * *

"First she's muttering about fire, then she sits up and starts screaming. I'm telling you, we need to get a physician this fever is doing more than just hurtin' her body but her head too, I tell ya!" Brad said to the other three. He stopped when Finny pointed towards the bed.

Scarlett's lips were moving… but she wasn't talking no… she was singing.

"Oh, where are the young lord and Sebastian…"

* * *

_Kidnapped girls and dolls that look just like them._ Ciel thought as he raced up the stairs. _No, those dolls were the girls._ _So Elizabeth is…_ At the thought of her bright smile he banished the thought and pressed forward. He would bring her home no matter what. He burst through the door at the end of the staircase.

"Ciel Phantomhive." The voice of the puppet said. Ciel looked up in the direct of the voice. "You are very beautiful. I must make you into a worthy doll."

"Where's Elizabeth?!" Ciel demanded.

"Now, what shall I make you out of?" The man asked as if Ciel did not pose his own question. "Clay will wash away, yet iron is far too crude, I say. So I thought to myself:" At those words Ciel began running again, he knew what was coming, more dolls, "Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold." Ciel escaped from the room but could still hear the song. "Build it up with silver and cold, my fair lady."

Ciel found himself in a hall of masks that began to chant the song back in reply. Ciel covered his ear and started running to ignore the singing. When he got out of the hall he found himself in a room and the insignia on the floor caused him to gasp. That same sign had been burned into his skin, permanently marring it. He could see the scenes of that day, the fear and anguish all still in his flesh and image of masked faces still before his eyes. He could see the knife lift into the air and come down but onto whom he could no longer remember but he knew that blood marred the perfect image of his beloved mother and father.

_However_! Ciel had endured and survived…

"Truly, nothing good ever happens on your birthday, does it?" Sebastian's voice asked shrouded by the curtain fluttering from the air of the open window. Ciel turned to him. "You lost your mansion, you lost your parents, and this time, will you lose Lady Elizabeth?"

The curtain calmly fell back to its place revealing the butler clad in black. "Sebastian!" Ciel cried as his butler sat pleasant on the window sill.

* * *

A/N: I'm justing going to say this now, to clear the air. Scarlett is absolutely human. There is nothing mystical or magical about her. What's happening to her and what is going on will be explained to her later and more of her backstory and what happened in that dream.


End file.
